Center Moves: A Peer-Reviewed Archive of Tutor Training Materials Issue 5, March 2026 Pivot! How to Change DirectionsDuring a Tutoring SessionMacy Dunklin and Daniel MuellerTexas A & M UniversityKEYWORDS synchronous online tutoring; in-person tutoring; verbal feedback / response; instructional feedback approaches; tutor ethos/persona abstractThis PowerPoint-style lesson 1) primes tutors to recognize when and why pivoting is necessary in a session, and 2) asks them to problem solve how they might pivot when faced with common difficult tutoring situations, e.g., when the student repeatedly refuses a tutor’s suggestions, when the student does not grasp a tutor’s explanation, and when the tutor realizes they have provided incorrect instruction. The lesson approaches the topic with a sense of practicality, acknowledging that each tutor has their own tutoring style while offering scripts in the instructional plan that tutors can adapt into their own style or use verbatim. By the end of the lesson, tutors should walk away with greater confidence to pivot in challenging situations. |
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TYPES & MODES
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TIMING & OCCURENCE
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AUDIENCE
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MATERIALS NEEDED
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Our tutors often expressed frustration in navigating sessions with “difficult writers.” We developed this training to address what we suspected was the root problem: discomfort in adapting their usual approaches to meet writers’ different needs and expectations. While tutors may believe these moments are a conflict between themselves and the writer, the problem is typically the situation, not the person. This training teaches tutors how to recognize when something isn’t working in a session and “pivot” to better meet the needs of the student and tutor. From this training, tutors will acquire specific strategies, including scripts they can either use verbatim or adapt into their own style to problem-solve common challenges. (Please note that some of the sample scripts or scenarios may seem informal because this matches our center’s culture.)
Pivoting can include many facets of tutoring, and how smoothly a tutor pivots can impact the overall success of the session. Tutors may need to backtrack after explaining something incorrectly the first time, which can affect their status as an “expert outsider” (Nowacek & Hughes, 2015). Moreover, tutors must pay attention to the “politeness” in which they redirect a session so they do not offend the writer or overtake their autonomy (Mackiewicz & Thompson, 2013). These complicating factors– maintaining expertise, politeness, and writerly agency–may cause tutors to freeze or barrel ahead. Writers may interpret this as friction and a failure of the writing center, the tutor, or themselves (Mackiewicz & Thompson, 2013).
We suspect this friction stems from tutors’ surprise at diverging from the informal scripts they often follow. For example, tutors may realize they need to switch between directive and nondirective strategies (Corbett, 2013). After all, non-directive strategies are often seen as the gold standard of writing centers, primarily benefit students with academic preparation and self-efficacy (Grimm, 2011; Salem, 2016).
This training was delivered to tutors with just one semester of experience as well as tutors with more than one year of experience. Although newer tutors may benefit most from this training, at our center, we found that all of our tutors appreciated the additional guidance on handling shifts mid-session. After this training, tutors commented that they felt more comfortable checking in with students without feeling like they “failed,” suggesting that this training had helped them problem-solve during sessions.
Tutors will be able to identify situations when pivoting from their usual tutoring strategies would be helpful. For instance, when a student writer repeatedly says no to suggestions, when a student writer is not grasping a tutor’s explanation, when a tutor needs to backtrack because they’ve explained something incorrectly, or when the student writer is resistant to feedback. There could be various reasons for these circumstances: a tutor or student may have neurodivergences that require alternative communication strategies, a tutor may make unfair assumptions that prove to be untrue, or a student’s distress from outside circumstances may filter into the session dynamics. Through this training, tutors will be able to adapt scripted language to meet their personal tutoring style so that they feel comfortable pivoting on their own.
OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
Introduction (Slides 1-5)
Tutors will not need to read or bring materials prior to this meeting. You may consider preparing tutors ahead of time by emailing them the meeting’s topic and slides the day before. Open the meeting by introducing the concept of pivoting, such as what it is and why it is important. Briefly outline the organization of the presentation: defining pivoting, providing examples of pivoting, practicing pivoting in common scenarios, and thinking about tutors’ own strategies for pivoting followed by presenter examples. In the last three slides of this section, prompt tutors to answer the questions about when pivoting is helpful, how pivoting may look different depending on the tutor, and what tutors have done in the past to pivot.
Application Activity (Slides 6-15)
The training activity should take up a majority of the training time. For the activity, prompt tutors to share how they might pivot in the challenging scenarios (each scenario has its own slide). Once a few tutors have shared, use the slide that follows the scenario to work through sample scripts that exemplify pivoting strategies. In our slides, the sample scripts come from the personalities of the two original presenters. One presenter is gregarious, flamboyant, and exudes confidence. The other is reserved, laidback, and careful. We chose these two presenter personalities because we feel their different, yet successful approaches demonstrate that each strategy can be adapted into any tutor’s style.
In the extension and adaptations section, we offer our thoughts on how the lesson could be expanded. For example, presenters could have students roleplay the examples instead of simply talking in a group about how they might respond. Alternatively, different or new scenarios could be added. We believe, regardless, that it is important for students to think about the specific wording they will use to pivot. We feel that simply describing and analyzing a moment does not necessarily prepare tutors to respond quickly in the moment. Familiarity with a sample script enables them to more quickly find the kind, professional words to handle a new situation.
Conclusion (Slide 16)
At the end of the activity, encourage students to share takeaways from the presentation. Reflect on what they found most meaningful and ask what questions they may still have about pivoting. In subsequent meetings, consider checking in with consultants about how pivoting is going.
SCRIPTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PER SLIDE
The attached slide deck, along with the following script, provides all the materials needed for the presenters to plug and play. Please note that adjustments may need to be made if the scripts do not match the presenter’s personality.
Introduction (Slide 1)
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- For today’s meeting, we’ll address how to pivot in sessions. First, we’ll talk about what pivoting is and offer some considerations. Second, we’ll problem-solve by working through common reasons for pivoting and how to pivot effectively in a session.
Grounding (Slides 2-5)
In this section, we transition from the introduction to assessing tutor understanding of pivoting Slides 2-5 both assess and prime tutors for the activity in slides 6-15.
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- Ask, what does pivot mean? What does it mean in the context of the writing center?
- Follow up on audience responses with additional context: When we say pivot, we’re talking about changing course, trying something new, or backtracking. The word invokes the idea of a hinge swiveling on an axis, e.g., a tripod that pivots. The word might also invoke planting a foot and swiveling if you’ve ever played basketball. In either case, there’s a physical, spatial change in direction.
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- Provide context: Writing appointments, though planned, are ultimately spontaneous events. We may know what a student is working on, but we don’t know who they are– their writing habits, their personality, and so on. Knowing how to pivot is an essential skill for any tutor because it helps sessions run smoothly and allows tutors to tailor sessions to a variety of students.
- Ask the audience: When might you need to pivot? Follow up on audience responses with affirmation or elaboration. Get tutors thinking about how they may already know when a pivot is necessary and how to do it. If the audience does not identify the following points, bring them into the discussion:
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- You’ve tried to point and model, but the student isn’t grasping the concept.
- The student is disengaged.
- The student is becoming frustrated with themselves, the work, or you.
- You want to try a different approach.
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- Tutors and writers alike have different personalities. We may pivot in a session for the same reason, but each of us approaches it a little differently. For today’s session, our two presenters are going to exemplify successful pivoting strategies they feel comfortable using based on their two very different personalities
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- [Presenter One] appears very loud, expressive and energetic, and
- [Presenter Two] appears quiet, reflective and a deeper thinker
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- Ask the audience: Now that you know what we mean by pivoting, does anyone think they’ve pivoted in a session recently? What was the situation, and what did you try?
- Hopefully, tutors will be able to identify when they have pivoted (or when they could have), even if they were not sure about the best course of action. Follow up on tutor experiences by tying their reason for pivoting back to one of the reasons mentioned on Slide 3.
- Transition to the next component of the training: The next few slides will cover different problems we encounter in the writing center. You’ll be asked how you’d respond to each situation, and then we’ll go over some strategies and language you could use.
Application & Problem-Solving (Slides 6-15)
The following slides all follow the same structure: present a problem and offer two or more options for how to pivot. For slides 6, 8, 10, and 14, prompt the tutors to offer their own strategies for how they might respond to the issue. Try to get them to consider the language they’d use rather than providing generalizations like “I’d find a way to ask why.”
For slides 7, 9, 11, and 13, we have provided example scripts for how we would respond to the situation, recognizing that the presenters have very different personalities. We also provided additional examples in some cases as well. Please feel free to modify these slides to best fit tutor needs. The descriptions below include the slide text in italics and our additional notes in unitalicized text.
In general, we suggest offering two options based on the presenters’ personalities for how pivoting might play out. Emphasize that there are many options and the following scripts can be adapted to meet each person’s style. By starting with the tutors providing their suggestions prior to showing the presenters’ suggestions, we hope to emphasize tutors’ individual styles.
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- Check in on their original goals: I would take a step back and be like, “Hey, it seems like what I’m doing isn’t helpful to you. I want to make sure I’m as helpful as possible. You also mentioned citations at the beginning, did you want to take a look at those together?” or “I’m so sorry, I think I lost track of what our initial goals were. Could you remind me what you wanted to cover initially?”
- Check in on the process: Take a moment to summarize what you’ve done so far, then ask the student again why they came in today. Make sure that you two are on the same page. If what you’ve been doing is what you think they asked for, explain the steps you’ve been trying to take, and ask what might help the student make the progress they want. It’s possible they aren’t aware of how negative they are being until it is pointed out. Use meta-language to discuss your reasoning, like, “I was thinking reading through line by line would be helpful, but we could try another strategy if you’d like.”
Slide 8. Present the problem: the student is not grasping what’s being explained.
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- Get specific about the confusion: “is there a specific word or phrase I’m using that’s not clear?” Ask them what about it they don’t understand; explain that part differently or return to something more foundational; use a metaphor; show an example; find other instances in their writing; fix the issue yourself the first time to show how it sounds better
- If the student seems to be genuinely interested in understanding what you are explaining, ask them how they tend to learn best. You can use language like “let’s take a step back for a second” or “how about we pause and think about” to let the student know you are redirecting from what you’ve currently been trying to communicate.
- You can also ask “What strategies have worked well for you in learning grammar?” When they explain what methods work best, think about what you could do in the room to accommodate them.
- On the other hand, if the student seems to be dismissive or shutting down from the lack of understanding, change the mode of communication. Change your physical space! Stand up at the white board and get them to stand up. Go grab some sticky notes. Change the vibes to get the student (and you) thinking in a different mode.
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- Be direct: “Oops, you know what, now that I’m thinking about it, I think what I told you isn’t right. I sometimes get this stuff mixed up too. Could we try x instead?” This can be really tough! I know it’s hard to admit we’ve made an error, but the student will learn best if we are very clear and straightforward about our mistake. Take a moment to pause, gather yourself, and explain. Explain what you did suggest, then explain why it was incorrect assistance. This will also help the student pinpoint what to “remember” and “forget” about the advice.
- Back track: “Now that we’re working with the writing, I realize I said the wrong thing. Let’s backtrack and start over to avoid any confusion.” Most of the time, people are understanding. Sometimes, the student might get upset. Many of us are annoyed when a perceived expert makes a blunder in front of us, but how you handle yourself in the moment (apologetic but confident) affects how they react the rest of the session. Being overly apologetic can unintentionally undermine your authority.
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- Start by asking questions about the sentence. Get the student thinking: “Something sounds off in this sentence…” or prompt them with “why did you choose this word?” See if they can identify it. If not, you can explain that it seems like the language is throwing you off.
- Start with a question about where they found the word and acknowledge its uncommon usage. “Oh, I haven’t seen someone use that word in a long time. Where did you see it?”
- Sometimes it is best to be direct. Correcting inappropriate language will help the student’s cultural competency and possibly avoid an awkward conversation with their teacher. “Oh, I see you’ve said ‘the queers’ here. Although some people have reclaimed that term, adding ‘the’ tends to feel more like a negative usage. It’s difficult to explain, but it points to the fact that you are not part of that group but are using a term that is now ‘in-group.’ If you want to keep your audience with you, I’d choose a term that’s less controversial and more formal.”
- **If this term is related to an identity you have, do not feel the need to be a martyr or tokenize yourself. Sometimes, we don’t have the bandwidth to be our own ambassador.
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- Authors’ note: In our center, our tutoring environment is very informal. This language comes off as a way to empathize with tutors’ frustrations. Depending on the formality and dynamics of relationships of your tutors, you may want to change this problem to “The student is acting oppositional or abrasive.”
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- Explain to the student the purpose of the writing center and clarify what they need is something which you can help with. Remember that not everyone knows all that we do and don’t do. The student may have misunderstood what we can do for them, and that’s causing frustration.
- State observable facts and bring it back to the writing. You can ask something like, “You’ve mentioned that my voice sounds grating to you. I can’t change that, but is there any way I can still be helpful?” Acknowledge the students’ frustrations and redirect toward actionable steps.
- Of course, sometimes nothing can be done, or you may be put in a situation you need to step out of. You do not have to sit there and take it if a student insults you. Leave the session and get an administrator if needed. Remember, we are there to help you!
- And, even though we want every session to end on a positive note, sometimes we must accept that some people cannot be changed. It is okay if a session doesn’t go well. We have all had those experiences. Just because you pivot doesn’t mean the session will turn around. Sometimes it may just simply be a not-so-great session.
Conclusion (Slide 16)
Before displaying this slide, we ask the tutors to provide their own summations of what they learned in this lesson. We may do so by asking “what is one strategy you found helpful?” or “does anyone have another scenario they’ve encountered and how they pivoted?” We try to end by returning the power to the tutors, emphasizing their role in creating their own tutor strategie.
Slide 16. Before displaying this slide, we ask the tutors to provide their own summations of what they learned in this lesson. We may do so by asking “what is one strategy you found helpful?” or “does anyone have another scenario they’ve encountered and how they pivoted?” We try to end by returning the power to the tutors, emphasizing their role in creating their own tutor strategies.Changing your approach is better than sitting through a difficult session.
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- Trying different strategies benefits both you and the student.
- Know when you should pivot versus when to move on or end a session. Not every session will be perfect. It will take time to figure this out, but each session is a new opportunity to practice pivoting.
- Honesty is always a good policy when it comes to mistakes or lack of knowledge. It will feel awkward, but it is always best to admit when you may have messed up. We don’t want the student walking away with incorrect information, even if it bruises our ego to admit our mistakes!
- Don’t be the jerk. Even if a student is being rude to you, you don’t need to be rude back. Practice compassion and assume good intentions.
At our center, we administer an end-of-semester survey with questions that evaluate tutors’ comfort in applying the skills they are taught during staff meetings. We give our tutors a scale from one to ten and ask, “How confidently can you apply the tutoring principles you’ve acquired this semester?” We also ask through a Likert score (strongly disagree to strongly agree) to identify the usefulness of each training that was offered. Our assessments have optional short answer follow-up questions.
In assessing the usefulness of this training, centers should phrase questions based on the outcomes most valuable to them and pertinent to their tutors:
“Do you feel more confident working with difficult situations? Why or why not?”
“How confident do you feel in recognizing when a tutoring approach isn’t working?”
“How comfortable do you feel adapting scripted language into your own style?”
As reinforcement for this training, administrators could ask tutors to discuss with a colleague how pivoting either succeeded or failed. Alternatively, tutors could be asked to attempt pivoting and write a short reflection about the experience, focusing on both feelings and observable behaviors. If this training is presented to emerging/new tutors, administrators could ask new tutors to discuss pivoting with seasoned tutors who feel confident pivoting themselves.
To shorten the training, we recommend limiting audience engagement in the first five slides. Additionally, review each of the problem/solution pairs to ensure that they are relevant to your writing center context. They can be omitted or replaced as needed.
To extend the training, we recommend giving tutors the opportunity to generate their own scripts for each scenario. This activity could play out in many ways. For example, tutors could role play their scripted language in pairs or independently jot down their scripted language. In each case, encourage tutors to think about why they changed what they changed and what that says about their personal tutoring style.
This training can easily be adapted to a synchronous online setting through screen-sharing and chat features for engagement. For an asynchronous setting, tutors could independently review the scenarios and evaluate how they might adapt scripts into their own tutoring style. We think a shared drive, such as a Google Doc, would be a particularly suitable venue for tutor responses so that tutors can see their peer’s responses. Administrators could even ask tutors to submit their own scripts for each of the problems presented.
Corbett, S. J. (2013). Negotiating pedagogical authority: The rhetoric of writing center tutoring styles and methods. Rhetoric Review, 32(1), 81-98.
Grimm, N. (2011). Retheorizing writing center work. In L. Greenfield & K. Rowan (Eds.), Writing centers and the new racism: A call for sustainable dialogue and change (pp. 75-100). Utah State University Press.
Mackiewicz, J., & Thompson, I. (2013). Motivational scaffolding, politeness, and writing center tutoring. The Writing Center Journal, 33(1), 38-73.
Nowacek, R., & Hughes, B. (2015). Threshold concepts in the writing center: Scaffolding the development of tutor expertise. In L. Adler-Kassner & E. Wardle (Eds.), Naming what we know: Threshold concepts of writing studies (pp. 171-185). Utah State University Press.
Salem, L. (2016). Decisions… decisions: Who chooses to use the writing center? Writing Center Journal, 35(2), 147–171. https://doi.org/10.7771/2832-9414.1806
This training can be used to meet CRLA Level 1 and Level 2 standards, namely Tutoring Do’s and Don’ts, Communication Styles, and Challenging Tutoring Situations. For our writing center, learning to pivot in a session is a fundamental quality for a successful tutor. In addition, this training reflects the diverse communication styles of tutors and empowers tutors to overcome challenging tutoring situations.
We thank our fellow administrators and student workers for their feedback on this workshop before and after its initial presentation. We also extend our thanks to the reviewers of Center Moves for their feedback, which helped us broaden this training to a wider audience. Lastly, we thank our furry research assistants, Murphy and Luna, for their continued support.
Macy Dunklin and Daniel Mueller
Texas A & M University
Dr. Macy Dunklin is a program coordinator at Texas A&M’s University Writing Center. They have worked in first-year writing, ESL, and public speaking classroom environments, and they are passionate about writing centers as a space that can assist all modes of communication. Their recently completed doctoral research focused on access, stigma, and learning in non-traditional settings, and they hope to combine their research with writing center work in the future.
Daniel Mueller began his professional career at Texas A&M’s University Writing Center as an undergraduate writing and speaking peer consultant. After attaining his Bachelor of Arts in English, he went off and did some other stuff that he hated. He jumped at the chance to return to the writing center full time in 2021. He likes thinking about words like puzzle pieces and getting paid to help others.
Mueller & Dunklin, Center Moves, no. 5, 2026.