Observations and Suggestions

Even though I was just beginning to get used to the usual atmosphere of the Writing Center, I am welcoming some of the changes that are being made. I think opening some of the blinds has brightened up the room, and made the Writing Center appear more welcoming. I've noticed this in the body language of our clients as they approach the door. With all the blinds closed, students would tend to float outside the door, and when they did enter, they cowered in the corner with an unsure look on their face. Now that the blinds near the door are open, students walk in with their heads held high, not afraid to ask for help with an assignment. I was surprised to see how much of a difference this small alteration made, but I am also happy to see an increase in the confidence of students.

In regard to future changes that I think should be made to the Writing Center, I would like to suggest a slight change to the times that shifts start and end. This past semester, I worked at 9:00 a.m., and then had a class the next hour at 10:00 a.m. in the science building. I accepted the fact that I would be a little late to class, but I often had to stay until after my shift was supposed to be over, making me several minutes late for my class at 10:00. I think it would be great if shifts started and ended at five minutes to the hour to give those of us who have classes immediately after tutoring a head start to where we need to be. Most tutors arrive five minutes before their shift anyway, so I don't think it would cause any conflict to make this minor alteration to the usual procedure of the Writing Center.

I also think it would be great to require on-shift tutors to wear nametags, because it would improve communication, and make it easier for incoming students to identify a person who can assist them with their paper. I think a huge part of the anxiety students feel upon arriving at the Writing Center is due to the fact that they are not sure who to ask for help. It is probably very overwhelming to walk into a room of strangers and admit, in front of all of them, that you need help with a piece of writing. If nametags are worn, students will realize which tutors are working, and be able to walk up to an individual instead of addressing the whole group. Removing this intimidation would most likely be conducive to the atmosphere in which a student feels comfortable freely discussing their writing.