The role that tutors should play in a tutorial session has long been discussed and debated in the writing centre literature. However, little attention has been given to tutor perceptions and actual practices, particularly vis-à-vis writing conferences. This study investigated and compared the perceptions and actual practices of two experienced tutors with respect to one-on-one tutoring sessions in the writing centre. Areas where tutors' actual practices converged with or diverged from their perceptions of writing tutorials were examined and discussed along with the interpretation of the determinants that might have influenced tutors' tutoring practices. Interviews and observations revealed that tutors do have a set of shared perceptions that are sometimes not reflected in their subsequent tutoring practices. This study highlighted the need for writing centre scholarship to incorporate tutors' lived experiences in relation to their ideals and actions of the tutorial sessions.