In this blog, I will revisit and revise what I posted in last three paragraphs of blog 7 which were in regards to my writing center philosophy.
Who will my writing center serve?
My writing center will work with all types of writers within university . Regardless, my writing center will work with writers of all levels, who are either students or faculty.
Who will work in my writing center?
The coaches will be at least sophomore level. They must have completed English 1030 with a B and must have a 3.0 GPA or higher. In addition, there will also be undergraduate, graduate and adjunct faculty who will coach students at my writing center. The writing coaches at my center will be a diverse group of students that reflect the student population. Coaches hired do not necessarily have to be English Majors. They can be Biology majors, Education majors, Criminal Justice majors, etc.
In addition, undergraduate and graduate coaches will require two letters of recommendation from either a professors or former employer.
Who will do most of the talking during the sessions?
During tutoring sessions, the main focus will be on the student. This is not a place where the coach will do most of the talking. Instead, the coach will use various forms of inquiry in order for the student to generate ideas. From the beginning, I would like to establish an understanding with the school or university, that the writing center is not a place where people should expect the tutor to act as a teacher. I will try to get this message across through different forms of publicity.
What training will my staff have?
In addition, daily training is necessary in order to prepare coaches to deal with situations in which students think tutors are the teachers. Training will consists of familiarizing staff with texts and presentations about writing centers throughout history and across the nation. Training will also consist of mock sessions, what if scenarios, videos, observations and one on one feedback through the course of a month (Hopefully there is enough money to fund all this).
In addition, I will hold weekly meetings with my coaches in order to discuss any questions or concerns they hard during the week. Attendance will be taken at each of these meetings.
What type of administrative structure will my center have?
In regards to administration, I think a hierarchal structure would be necessary. I think that there needs to be a person in charge of the writing center who delegates tasks to other members. In addition, I am a stickler for rules. I need organization and people should be held accountable for their delegated or volunteered responsibilities. I think there should be assistants who will work one on one with each coach. This is because my fear in having a writing center with a collaborative structure is that coaches and staff members may lose sight of their tasks and will point fingers in regards to accountability.
What researches have influenced my writing center philosophy?
In addition, I agree with both Bouquet and North's view of coaching. I do not want to use only minimalist tutoring because I think students may leave frustrated and will never want to come back if a coach comes off as "not caring" or "rude". However, I believe that minamilist tutoring may be the best approach for coaches who feel very passionate about the subject that the student is writing about. This is because when coaches feel strongly about a familiar topic, they may struggle with preventing themselves from talking too much and dominating the conversation. This may leave students feeling as if they were talking to a teacher instead of a coach.
In addition, I think that writing coaches should not become therapist either. Although it is important to establish good relationships with students, coaches are not trained to be guidance counselors or psychologist. In addition, this may lead to off topic conversations, and for a student, coming to the writing center just to "vent" may become habitual. Writing coaches can only do so much for students, this is why I think there should be a balance between minimalist tutoring and overly sympathetic tutoring.
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