A good reader

I help students and scholars discover and present the best versions of themselves, to find their voices. For most of my career that has been through teaching about teaching, learning, oral communication, and presentation skills. At different times I have taught writing and provided writing support, and I have been glad to have the opportunity to do more of that this term. That’s why It was even more gratifying to receive this feedback recently from a student I helped with a graduate program application:

I really wanted to thank you for your help throughout the process. I enjoy working with you a lot—you read my drafts carefully and gave me helpful feedback. I could not have found a better reader! 

His words really hit me: don’t we all need a good reader? Maybe as much as we need a good listener? These are the skills of an academic partner, someone who can help you take your work to the next level. I have realized that whether I am helping a professor think about a challenge in their course, supporting a graduate student who is figuring out the key takeaways they want to land in a presentation, or helping a writer clarify a paper, I am drawing on the same skills, and partnering in a similar way. These are the kinds of questions I might ask: What are your goals? Who is your audience? Why are you structuring the work this way? Do you think everyone knows what ____ means? How are these parts connected?  

I share what I see, hold up the mirror, and ask questions, and it works. And the best thing, apart from seeing scholars achieve their goals, is that I always learn so much, too. So It is a true partnership. 

Do you need a good reader? Or a good listener, or a partner to help you think about your work? I am here.