On The Gold Coast: Tutor
Judith Wallis pays tribute to Peter Taylor, who ran a writing class for Moncrieff University of the Third Age in Queensland. The quality of Judith's writing is vivid evidence of Peter's tutoring skills.
This week I have been thinking about my U3A writing tutor. Since joining his class I have learnt so much and, more importantly, I have gained confidence. Let me explain.
In our group we use the first hour to read our stories aloud. Comments are invited from all members and the tutor usually has most to say. Our tutor is a hard task master. An ex publisher and more recently, author of many books, he expects our best. We all feel for those who are admonished and their errors described in painful detail. As a new student I would arrive at our monthly classes, my latest story clutched tightly to my chest. A page or two I had sweated over. I had done my best, checking and rechecking, trying to remember the tutor’s instruction and hoping my newest story was better than the last.
During my first few months in class there were times when his clear appraisal of my work caused me to fight back tears of humiliation as he pointed out my errors. But I wanted to learn and I reasoned that if he simply said ‘Very good’ as he did to some, I would not learn. I needed to know what was wrong in order to improve even though my reason for joining the class in 2002 was no more than a wish to write better and brighter letters to distant friends and family. The idea of becoming a ‘proper’ writer did not enter my mind.
At the request of my daughter I began writing a record of my childhood memories. My tutor had often said if anyone in the class wished to work on a larger project he was willing to assist and encouraged by a friend, I approached him in early 2003 and asked him to read forty pages of incidents from my childhood. From this point I grew to know the seemingly unlimited generosity of this man as he encouraged me to continue writing. He advised me to plan ahead, to think hard about what I wanted to say and to make it concise. Now my kind of planning falls somewhere between Winston Churchill’s idea that planning is important even if none of it comes to pass, and the old Polish Hasidic rabbi who said ‘If you vant to make God laugh, try making a plan.’
So I simply wrote down what I felt. I could see and hear the characters. I could smell the environment. I put myself through an emotional whirlpool as deeply buried, long forgotten incidents returned to my mind. I shed tears and at times laughed aloud. And the man I had thought so brusque supported me every step of the way. He telephoned regularly offering advice and continued encouragement. A year later he began editing my work, taking the time to explain why the structure needed to be changed and writing humorous little notes in the margin. After two years of work my book has been sent to a publisher.
Last weekend Peter Taylor moved north to live on the Sunshine Coast and we said goodbye. A talented artist, photographer and writer Peter shared both his time and knowledge teaching others. He was my tutor and became my mentor. He has my respect and gratitude.
I know many readers will join me in a vote of appreciation to our many tutors world wide `who, like Peter, have enriched our lives as we continue to learn for the joy of learning.
