College English Tutoring

Frida Kahlo Research Quest Use IVC library databases to explore Frida Kahlo's love, life, family, body, beliefs, and art. You are not writing the essay today. You are discovering a possible direction. You'll practice: turning a broad topic into a research question using background sources before academic articles searching ProQuest, JSTOR, and EBSCO using database AI tools ethically saving permalinks so your work is not lost You'll leave with: one Frida theme that interests you one possible research question one source that may help one saved permalink a better sense of how to search without drowning in thousands of results Research rule:  Searching is part of figuring out what you want to know. Habits to remember: 1. Search with a question.   2. Verify AI-assisted summaries.   3. Save the permalink immediately.

  Research is an integration of what you already know--through observation, reading, and conversation--and what you learn from additional sources (A Community of Writers, 304). What is the result from research? The desire to know something. Whatever that is determines the kind of research you'll do and the sources you choose (303). In this class, Professor Lewenstein is having students learn all about Frida Kahlo, her family, her art, Mexican heritage, and her love life. There are many themes in her artwork, as she painted what she lived and the emotions/pain she felt. It's the student's responsibility to choose a topic and write a research paper about it using ProQuest, one of Imperial Valley College's online research portals.  As the embedded tutor, it's your job to help them brainstorm, help them remember to use the free resources the college provides (and where to find them), and give them writing tools to add to their toolbox.  One of the things I prepared was...

Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940, By Frida Kahlo Tutoring Goal Help students notice, question, connect, and interpret information about Frida Kahlo without giving them an interpretation to repeat. By the end of the activity, students should be better able to: identify details that interest them; explain why a detail might be significant; connect Kahlo's life experiences to her artwork; distinguish observation from interpretation; support an idea with evidence from the video or artwork; begin identifying possible topics for the later Frida Kahlo essay. 1. Before Students Begin Remind students that they do not need to know the "right answer" immediately. You might say: These questions aren't really about memorizing Frida Kahlo facts. They're asking you to notice something, think about what it could mean, and explain why you think that. Start with what you actually see or hear. The Basic Pattern When students get stuck, guide them through: NO...

1. Before class starts Get there a few minutes early when possible and check in with Jay. Your questions can be simple: “What are they working on today?” “Is there anything you want me watching for?” “Do you want me circulating during this part?” “Are there any students who might need an extra check-in today?” You mainly need to know what students are supposed to accomplish by the end of class. Keep Canvas open on your laptop if you're able to. Since assignments are organized through Canvas modules, being able to pull up the prompt while helping someone will save you from tutoring based on memory. 2. During lecture: listen like a tutor You don't tutor while Jay is actively teaching. Instead, listen for: Assignment expectations. If Jay says, “For this paragraph I want you to…” mentally flag that. Students frequently remember the topic but forget the actual task. Terminology students may struggle with. For this course, that might include: claim evidence reasoning rhetorical situa...

Welcome to Tutor Writes, a writing-help blog created for students who want clearer, more confident, and more organized writing. Writing can feel overwhelming because it asks you to do many things at once. You have to understand the assignment, form an idea, organize your thoughts, use evidence, explain your reasoning, follow formatting rules, and revise your sentences — all while trying not to panic over the blank page. This blog is here to slow that process down. At Tutor Writes, you’ll find practical writing support, including essay tips, revision strategies, grammar help, MLA reminders, paragraph guidance, and examples that show how writing can improve step by step. My goal is not to make writing sound mysterious or complicated. My goal is to make the process feel more understandable. I believe students are often stronger writers than they realize. Sometimes they just need someone to explain what an assignment is asking, show what revision can look like, or help them see the differe...