Ron Maxwell’s Advice to Peer Tutors

Mary Maxwell NCPTW 2012

Mary Maxwell, 22 February 2013

Lee Junagadhwala NCPTW 2012

Alice Lee and Aqsa Junagadhwala (from left), 3 November 2012

Alice and Lee were peer tutors for The Literacy Center in
Niles West High School, Skokie, Illinois.

Respect
“Respect the writer. Respect what the writer brings to you. the writer’s courage for bringing it to the center to be discussed in this way.”

  • This advice does not need to be pertained to writers only. It can go for any type of tutoring, whether it be tutoring for math, science, social studies, etc. Tutors should always respect tutees for having the courage to come to the lit center and ask a peer for help, because it’s not always easy asking for help.
  • Respect the writer’s courage for knowing that they will be criticized, yet they still come in to get tutored because they know with criticism comes improvement, development, and change.

Modesty

“Make suggestions for change with all the tact and modesty you can muster.”

  • Yes, we are tutors, but in no means does that mean we are better than our tutees, nor does it mean that we know more. We are here to help our tutees, not to show them that we’re better because we understood material quicker than them and we’re not here to make them feel bad. Whenever we are making suggestions for change, we should do it with modesty and gently, without making the tutee feel bad. It’s hard being criticized.

INFORMATION ON HIM & WHY THE AWARD IS NAMED AFTER HIM; WHAT HE CONTRIBUTED FOR PEER TUTORING ETC.

After 36 years of service at Penn state, Ron Maxwell retired. At Penn State, Ron Maxwell developed a course for training peer tutors, then established a University-wide peer-tutoring program in writing. Ron Maxwell served as Co-Director of the Schreyer institute for Innovation in Learning from 1995-1997 and organized three University-sponsored national conferences on collaborative learning.

Maxwell was a founding member of the Nation Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing. In 1997, he was formally recognized for his leadership with an award; wishing for others to receive similar honor for such work that often went unrecognized, Ron and Mary sponsored the award annually. The award named it the Ron Maxwell Award for Distinguished Leadership in Promoting the Collaborative Learning Practices of Peer Tutors in Writing. Dr. Brian Fallon, Director of the Writing Studio at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, the 2010 award recipient, said in a thank you letter to Ron and Mary, “ I have always thought of the Maxwell Award as one of the greatest honors a writing center director can receive.” He spoke for many when he went on to tell Ron, “My understanding of teaching and learning, my understanding of how students relate to one another, and my understanding of how teachers relate to students have been dramatically influenced by NCPTW people like you who have paved the way for people like me, and for that I will always be appreciative.”

MORE INFORMATION ON THE AWARD

The NCPTW Ron Maxwell Leadership Award is given annually to a professional in the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing organization who has contributed with distinction to undergraduate student development through promoting collaborative learning among peer tutors in writing. Individuals who have dedication to and leadership in collaborative learning within writing centers are recognized through this award. They also aid students in taking on more responsibility together for their learning, and thus promote the work of peer tutors. Its presentation also denotes extraordinary service to the evolution of this conference organization.

Such leadership may be demonstrated in a variety of ways, including but not limited to

  • Building a record of bringing peer tutors to present at the Conference
  • Giving service to the NCPTW through hosting the Conference, serving as program chair, leading in the search for future sites, etc.
  • Fostering leadership skills among peer tutors
  • Showing evidence of leadership in collaborative learning on the home campus
  • Developing innovative peer tutoring programs in the    home community
  • In general, welcoming and meeting new challenges in leading a center guided by a collaborative learning philosophy

This award is intended to recognize meritorious work in an area too little acknowledged.

IN FULL SENTENCES

Ronald Maxwell, Founder of National Conference of Peer Tutoring in Writing

Maxwell was a founding member of the Nation Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing. In 1997, he was formally recognized for his leadership with an award; wishing for others to receive similar honor for such work that often went unrecognized, Ron and Mary sponsored the award annually. The award was named the Ron Maxwell Award for Distinguished Leadership in Promoting the Collaborative Learning Practices of Peer Tutors in Writing. Dr. Brian Fallon, Director of the Writing Studio at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, the 2010 award recipient, said in a thank you letter to Ron and Mary, “ I have always thought of the Maxwell Award as one of the greatest honors a writing center director can receive.” He spoke for many when he went on to tell Ron, “My understanding of teaching and learning, my understanding of how students relate to one another, and my understanding of how teachers relate to students have been dramatically influenced by NCPTW people like you who have paved the way for people like me, and for that I will always be appreciative.” The NCPTW Ron Maxwell Leadership Award is given annually to a professional in the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing organization who has contributed with distinction to undergraduate student development through promoting collaborative learning among peer tutors in writing. Individuals who have dedication to and leadership in collaborative learning within writing centers are recognized through this award. They also aid students in taking on more responsibility together for their learning, and thus promote the work of peer tutors. Its presentation also denotes extraordinary service to the evolution of this conference organization. Aside from being the founder of NCPTW, Maxwell worked at Penn State for 36 years. At Penn State, Maxwell developed a course for training peer tutors, then established a University-wide peer-tutoring program in writing. Maxwell served as co-director of the Schreyer Institute for Innovation in Learning from 1995-1997 and organized three university-sponsored national conferences on peer tutoring.

Maxwell had two important points when it came to peer tutoring, respect and modestly. “Respect the writer, respect the writer’s courage for bringing to the the center to be discussed in this way” (Maxwell). This advice is not pertained to writing only, but can also be pertained to different subjects as well. Tutors should always respect their tutees for mustering up the courage to ask a peer for help, because sometimes the hardest step is asking for help. Tutors should also respect the writer’s courage for knowing that they will be criticized, yet they still come in to get tutored because with criticism comes improvement, development, and change. Modesty is key in tutoring. Tutors should “make suggestions for change with all the tact and modesty [they] can muster” (Maxwell). Tutors are simply tutors and tutees are tutees. Even if tutors are the ones helping the tutees, in no means does it mean that tutors are better or smarter than their tutees. Tutors are simply there to help their tutees. Whenever tutors make suggestions for change, they should do it without making the tutee feel bad because it’s hard being criticized, even if it is constructive.

 

WORKS CITED

Gardner, C. (2012, January 3). Ron Maxwell’s Advice to Tutors. Retrieved from

http://www.peercentered.org/2012/01/ron-maxwells-advice-to-tutors.html

Obituary of Ronald R. Maxwell , 76. (2011, March 11). Retrieved from

http://www.statecollege.com/obituaries/detail.php?id=1305

The Maxwell Award. (n.d.). Retrieved from

The Maxwell Award