When reading the articles for this weeks assignment, it definitely was a more familiar ground than last weeks. I felt this was to me, what the writing center was all about. in my favorite article of the week, Muriel Harris "Talking in the Middle: Why Writers Need Writing Tutors, I felt Wow.. that is exactly what I believe the writing center's who existence is about. "A writing center encourages and facilitates writing emphasis in courses IN ADDITION to those in an English department's composition program." I feel as if the essence of this statement should ultimately be the foundation of what the writing center is.
The writing center allows me, the student, a safe haven to go and clarify something that I cannot quite understand. While they went into the fact students have a more comforted feeling with the tutor, while the teacher can make students feel inferior, I can't say that has been my experience. I use both as tools to make myself a better writer. I want to satisfy my professors request. I go further into details with my professor to find out what can I do to make this paper even better. I take that information to the writing center and then I sit and collaborate with them, sharing, speaking, thinking and pow wowing to get the gist of where this is going.
The article focused on how one is different from the next and how the tutoring instruction is more relaxed, while the class is structured. I agree with this as well. The classroom time is a more structured college lecture. The professor doesn't have the time to deal with issues that are not minute. The student has to either ask his or her peers questions, meet with the professor for 5 minutes after class or visit the tutoring center, where he or she can spend up to an hour clarifying things that may have been vague before. If the student still has issues, she can easily visit the professor to clear up where they went wrong. I feel some students are intimidated by asking the professor additional questions and the writing center or tutor are their best chances on getting some elaboration. They reduce the stress that the student may have about an up coming assignment.
At times I myself have not been able to clearly understand what a professor wanted from these mundane instructions. As a person with anxiety, it sounds like the Charlie Brown teacher, Whomp, whomp, whomp and more whomp. That frustrates a student. The writing center is again a safe haven, I go there and I know that if my current tutor does not understand something, someone else in there will. I feel like unlike the classroom that can leave me with high anxiety, the writing center reduces it. I have had episodes of speaking to professors and they made me even more confused. With tears in my eyes, I sit with my tutor break it down piece by piece and come up with a plan to present to my professor.
Group projects even add more stress. As with Lundford's article "Collaboration, control and the idea of the Writing Center", getting groups together of any kind is like pulling teeth. I had a group project with just me and one other person, yet when we did get together twice in 4 months, we pulled together an outstanding project. I agreed to write the paper and she would do the treatment portion and power point. I did not care about balancing the work load, I just wanted I done. We came for our second meeting with ideas that made it not hideous or tedious. The most frustrating part of the group project was organizing time. When we were together in the same room, we were able to use our experiences and our knowledge to make a great presentation. I used her strengths and she used mine.
My tutor of the century, John, would ask me questions. Next session, I would already ask myself these questions. Next session I have my paper edited and primarily finished, but he would still challenge me to make the paper even better. We collaborate on reaching even higher levels. A professor might just look it over to make sure the information he or she desires is there and chaulk it up as sufficient. I would rather be challenged and made to be the best ME Writer I can be, than just fitting a rubric.
I like how you break down your process-going to the professor for a breakdown and then go to the tutor. Some students may completely avoid going to the professor for clarification and go to the writing center. I have to say that I am probably one of those students who try to make the professor's comments enough for my basis of improvement. Sometimes professors are too busy to give any additional comments or even student and professors may not have the time that is convenient for both of them. Your comparison of a Charlie Brown teacher with a professor's comments is completely hilarious. :p Speaking of that, I wonder why the producers made it that way? LOL I also agree that sometimes working in groups can be very stressful when people do not understand the importance of timeliness, accountability, and the seriousness of being in college.
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