As this week began, I was apprehensive about actually working in the Writing Center. My appointed time to work in the Writing Center was from 10 am until noon on Wednesday. As I began the week, I could not avoid the specter of 'THE WRITING CENTER'. I was unsure of what to expect, which is one thing that I absolutely despise! My time in the military has made me very regimented and I need some structure in my life in order to feel complete. With this being said, it might be easier for you to figure out why I was anxious to get my initial day in the Center behind me. But before that time came, I had to make it through Monday and Tuesday.
Monday was not a big deal for me, as I only had to worry about my TA office hours and Spanish 101. Tuesday, however, is my busiest day. My Tuesdays consist of an early start because I am a TA in Psychology 101, which starts at 0740. Once that class is complete, I them proceed to American Political Theory, followed by our English 303 class. It is in this class that I plan to get more comfortable with my role as a Writing Center Consultant. The biggest problem that we face in English 303 for the moment is the lack of a permanent classroom. There have been logistical problems which have forced moving around, but I am confident that Melissa will take good care of us! I also find some of the reading challenging, as I am new to the whole writing center concept. But our discussions in Eng 303 help me to come to a better understanding of how writing centers work. I find that all of my fellow students in Eng 303 are really nice people and I truly believe that we all share a love of writing and helping others to be better writers. We all seem to have the same dry humor, which makes class interesting! Melissa keeps the discussion relevant and I am learning many things I did not realize before, such as the difference between tutors and consultants. Once Eng 303 is over, I go to my News Writing and Reporting class. This class helps reiterate some of the basic grammar skills that I am learning in Eng 303. Finally, I head to Spanish 101, which can possibly help me in the future as I help out ESL (English as a Second Language) students. As I look at the big picture, it is amazing how all of these classes actually relate to one another in some strange, yet relevant way.
Wednesday finally arrived and it was time for me to face the unknown! I arrived at the Writing Center and was immediately relieved to see some of the people that I actually know, such as Heath and Sierra (from Eng 303), Nick and Amanda. This had the effect of reassuring me that this could be a good thing! After securing my nametag and putting away my gear, I talked to Amanda, who was nice enough to show Heath and I how to schedule appointments in the computer for students. Then, Heath and I learned how to annotate consultant meeting notes into the computer and file the student folders away. Finally, Heath and I made coffee and marveled at how slowly the coffee brewed. I mean, it was like watching paint dry…painful. This exercise concluded my first day in the Writing Center. Anticlimactic, to say the least! But, it was a solid foundation upon which to build my knowledge and experience.
On Thursday, I learned more about rhetorical grammar than I ever cared to know. But it was fun, as we learned it in a fun exercise known as Chuck Norris Rhetorical Grammar Jeopardy(ish)!! I was blessed to be on the team that included Zack and Kate, who carried my sorry behind to a win!! Kate is a genius at this whole rhetorical grammar stuff!! Then, as if Karma was mocking me, I went to News Writing and Reporting and we went over-(yep, you guessed it) rhetorical grammar. I guess someone thought that I needed extra practice!! And my second day in the Writing Center (Friday), I actually had the opportunity to observe a consultation as Kelsey went over an English essay concerning Beowulf with a student. The consultation was a great learning experience for me and it was interesting to watch Kelsey work with the student and coax him to come up with his own ideas about how he should write it. Masterful!! As I watched the consultation, I could only wish that I would be that good one day.
This week was good for me, as I experienced firsthand what the Writing Center environment is really like and now I have a much better understanding of what is expected of me. With a loose grasp of the actions required of me, I am now looking forward to my next opportunity to work in the center.
Hi, Bill!
ReplyDeleteI, too, am a highly structured person, and anticipation absolutely kills me (seriously--I dream of sharks right before every semester begins). It sounds like you got a good sense of what the Center is about from the readings and then from actually hanging around, eventually getting to watch Kelsey in action (and it sounds like you got to watch a great session!).
I'm not surprised to hear that 303 is blending together with some of your other classes. This seems to happen quite a bit! Later in the semester I'll share some results from the Tutor Alumni Project that followed many tutors long after their time in their writing centers was done. It's interesting to read about how far this experience can carry beyond our walls; working in writing centers provides so many useful skills!
I hope next week comes with a little less nervous anticipation and a little more comfort! Have a great weekend!
Melissa