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By Kathleen Tarr*

[I]n a writing center, the object is to make sure that writers, and not necessarily their texts, are what get changed by instruction. In axiom form it goes like this: Our job is to produce better writers, not better writing.
– Stephen M. North[1]

There are common standards for tutoring practice in a writing center: share the space; let the student set the agenda; understand the assignment; give the student control; prioritize problems; get the student involved in solving the problem; get the student to write; respect and use the time; and, bring the session to a close. There is also an unwritten rule: never contradict the professor or the assignment. This latter standard is actually harder to meet than it might seem.

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