Suggestions for the Writing Center
The writing center, as far as one semester of experience goes, has met most of my expectations. For suggestions as to what can or should be changed, I’ll first address some of the suggestions that have been written about first, then introduce some of my own ideas.
Ammon’s suggestion: I think the idea of having a group of editors and a group of tutors is a good idea, but a confusing idea at the same time. Is that not what most tutors are right now? Do we not address both global and local issues, depending on what is needed most? Does this not make us part editors and part tutors?
I know we say we are not proof readers, but if someone comes in to the writing center who requests that we proof read his or her paper, do any of us turn that student away? I thought we took that student, looked over their paper, and gave them an honest assessment of their problems. If all they need are basic local issue suggestions/help, we give it to them as long as they are involved in the process. Therefore, where would a special editor come into the picture? Would an editor be someone a student could drop their paper off to, not having to participate in the editing process? If not—if they had to participate in the editing process— then this doesn’t seem much different from some regular session. If all the global issues are fine, then focusing on local issues and playing the role of editor is then needed.
Perhaps this is a time issue? Most of my tutoring hours are at night or late afternoon, so I rarely see the writing center swamped with students for hours at a time, necessitating the delegation of certain tasks to a special editor. Perhaps during the day hours an editor is needed? Just thinking through your suggestion—it is a good idea!
As for my own suggestions, I would like to see the writing center provide better access and support to allow the center to participate in the broader culture of writing centers across the country. My suggestion is kind of a belated one. With this year being the first time the writing center has been involved in the CRLA certification, and with the fact that we are already talking about what we could present at the conference in Provo (Orem?), most of this access and support exists already. However, I think that it would be very beneficial to keep along that path, and for the teachers and instructors involved in the writing center to keep updated about what we can be doing with our tutoring.
For example: the Weber writing center was first introduced to the CRLA certification this year. This is exactly what I am talking about. Most of us are working in the writing center, or I would assume so, because we believe that the experience will be beneficial to our degree, graduate school, or our future jobs. Since CRLA is a national certification, it is imperative that we have the opportunity to distinguish ourselves in this way.
Of course, we already have the opportunity to go through the CRLA certification, but what else is out there? Most of us have only been familiar with writing centers for the past three months and don’t know what else is out there. What publishing opportunities are out there for undergraduate tutors; where and when are all of the conferences (and which do we participate in); what is the contemporary discussion of writing centers focusing on; what certificate/fellowship/internship opportunities are out there that working in the writing center can lead to?
Maybe the suggestions on how to improve the writing center should focus on what can be changed that will help the tutors help the students. But, in my own opinion, we should also focus on what the writing center can do for its tutors. A lot of us have graduate school plans and job plans, and I want to know what we can be doing with our tutoring that can be help us get into graduate school, or our future jobs.
This may be something that individual tutors need to focus on for themselves, but I think it would be better if some of our staff meetings addressed some of these issues. Also, what is going on in writing centers across the country needs to be brought up. As tutors it is like we have an intimate idea of what is going on with writing centers because we work in one, but there is no connection between that and what is going on with everyone else. I personally find it very interesting when Sylvia and Scott start talking about what is going on with composition programs and writing centers across the country. Perhaps they could set aside time in meetings to update and discuss with all the tutors. This will allow us as tutors to become familiar with the culture and community surrounding the writing center and the opportunities it affords.
Ammon’s suggestion: I think the idea of having a group of editors and a group of tutors is a good idea, but a confusing idea at the same time. Is that not what most tutors are right now? Do we not address both global and local issues, depending on what is needed most? Does this not make us part editors and part tutors?
I know we say we are not proof readers, but if someone comes in to the writing center who requests that we proof read his or her paper, do any of us turn that student away? I thought we took that student, looked over their paper, and gave them an honest assessment of their problems. If all they need are basic local issue suggestions/help, we give it to them as long as they are involved in the process. Therefore, where would a special editor come into the picture? Would an editor be someone a student could drop their paper off to, not having to participate in the editing process? If not—if they had to participate in the editing process— then this doesn’t seem much different from some regular session. If all the global issues are fine, then focusing on local issues and playing the role of editor is then needed.
Perhaps this is a time issue? Most of my tutoring hours are at night or late afternoon, so I rarely see the writing center swamped with students for hours at a time, necessitating the delegation of certain tasks to a special editor. Perhaps during the day hours an editor is needed? Just thinking through your suggestion—it is a good idea!
As for my own suggestions, I would like to see the writing center provide better access and support to allow the center to participate in the broader culture of writing centers across the country. My suggestion is kind of a belated one. With this year being the first time the writing center has been involved in the CRLA certification, and with the fact that we are already talking about what we could present at the conference in Provo (Orem?), most of this access and support exists already. However, I think that it would be very beneficial to keep along that path, and for the teachers and instructors involved in the writing center to keep updated about what we can be doing with our tutoring.
For example: the Weber writing center was first introduced to the CRLA certification this year. This is exactly what I am talking about. Most of us are working in the writing center, or I would assume so, because we believe that the experience will be beneficial to our degree, graduate school, or our future jobs. Since CRLA is a national certification, it is imperative that we have the opportunity to distinguish ourselves in this way.
Of course, we already have the opportunity to go through the CRLA certification, but what else is out there? Most of us have only been familiar with writing centers for the past three months and don’t know what else is out there. What publishing opportunities are out there for undergraduate tutors; where and when are all of the conferences (and which do we participate in); what is the contemporary discussion of writing centers focusing on; what certificate/fellowship/internship opportunities are out there that working in the writing center can lead to?
Maybe the suggestions on how to improve the writing center should focus on what can be changed that will help the tutors help the students. But, in my own opinion, we should also focus on what the writing center can do for its tutors. A lot of us have graduate school plans and job plans, and I want to know what we can be doing with our tutoring that can be help us get into graduate school, or our future jobs.
This may be something that individual tutors need to focus on for themselves, but I think it would be better if some of our staff meetings addressed some of these issues. Also, what is going on in writing centers across the country needs to be brought up. As tutors it is like we have an intimate idea of what is going on with writing centers because we work in one, but there is no connection between that and what is going on with everyone else. I personally find it very interesting when Sylvia and Scott start talking about what is going on with composition programs and writing centers across the country. Perhaps they could set aside time in meetings to update and discuss with all the tutors. This will allow us as tutors to become familiar with the culture and community surrounding the writing center and the opportunities it affords.
posted by Anonymous at 8:22 PM
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