Welcome Writing Consultants
This site will be used as a forum for you and your colleagues during your tenure at the Ohio State University Writing Center at Mansfield. Please remember that this is an academic forum focused on increasing member understanding of writing, tutoring, and writing pedagogy.
posted by Mansfield Writing Center @ 11:53 AM
19 comments
19 Comments:
Let me join Mike Sasso in welcoming everyone to the new blog. I look forward to meeting and working with all of you over the coming year . . . DC
Hello Writing Center Consultant Bloggers... As you know this is a site where we will be sharing our scholarly insights in writing center work. We will begin by using the first chapter of the Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors, "Being Professional." Most of you have already studied the Bedford Guide, therefore, this is an opportunity to look back at what you learned in 467 to see how your experiences as a Writing Consultant have affirmed, expanded, or negated the information in this chapter. 467 students should also feel free to ask our current consultants questions regarding this chapter.
Mike
Oh, one other thing, copies of the Bedford Guide are located in the Writing Center O-230.
Blog bodaciously,
Michael
Aloha. I hope in the next coming days or weeks that people who are in need or have a desire to strengthen their writing will be stopping by. I also hope people don’t feel as if the writing center is a one street. As much as we can offer people suggestions or strategies for their work, they too offer us the same on how to deal with future situations. So to any future patrons that will be coming to writing center, remember the writing center operates like a two way street.
Hi, I'm Andrea and I'm in English 467. It will be intriguing to see what develops from this collaboration!
I now know how a blog works:)
Hello, I'm Trish and I am in 467. I am also working in the writing center beginning this quarter. I hope to get to know and work with everyone!
I'm terribly excited to learn more about proper editing techniques and the theories behind grammar relating to the English language.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
(Oops! I am still figuring "blogging" out, and I made an error in my previous post.) I'm Jackie, and I am currently taking English 467. I look forward to interacting with everyone =)
While reading through the Beford guide, I began to notice something. Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve never realized how much being a ‘tutor’ with proficient skills in writing requires very high social and personal skills also. Sure, it seems like common knowledge to have the two go hand and hand, however I bet it’s harder to practice than simply acknowledge. No matter what I can offer the person in way of technical suggestions, they won’t take it if my attitude and personal skills are that of a corpse.
Jason's point about "people skills" begs an intriguing question, To what degree, if at all, can attitude and interpersonal skills be taught in English 467 or consultant training workshops?
I don't think that interpersonal skills or attitude can be taught at all, in any class; however, they can be changed and improved with the active involvement of the individual. Yes, we are all born with certain dispositions, but with a conscious effort, anyone can at least slightly alter his/her attitude or "people skills." (Perhaps an example of this concept would be sensitivity classes or anger management classes, where temperment/attitude changes happen gradually when the individual is determined to succeed.)
I don't know if I can be taught interpersonal skills, but the Bedford Guide and Dr. Cautrell's hypothetical situations in the classroom have been helpful in forming my own "what ifs" regarding the consultant process. I think I see the books and class as a kind of leadership training; by teaching us how to discern what the student is going through, we will be better equipped to help them achieve their goal.
This is something I thought was interesting and deserved some attention. As I left CC today, I going was to my car, I saw a girl I had helped last week in the writing center. I asked her how she was. She told me that she had given her second draft essay to her professor. They apparently marked it up, with what I’m not sure. However she was very frustrated and didn’t understand why this happened. The student had brought the second draft to me before giving it to her professor; however she never incorporated any of the things we discussed. The only way I could respond (well at least the nicest way) was to tell to her to come back to the writing center so we could look over the comments. I don’t get it, why ask for help if you’re just going to refuse it?
That they are generally referred to as interpersonal skills, rather than talents, seems to be an acknowledgment that they can be taught, and, more importantly, learned. Perhaps opening up the dialogue is the best approach into the careful consideration of our own skills. Thoughtful self awareness is the crucial component in understanding and improving these skills. This would include consciously observing the way various others react to us and also observing and comparing how others interact.
As far as attitudes go, I think most people in the service sector would benefit from a better understanding of how their attitudes impact those around them. Even if one feels that attitudes are somehow predetermined, it shouldn't preclude the notion that attitudes can be conscientiously tempered or disguised.
To address Dion's question, I feel it can be taught, but I'm not sure whether devoting substantial classroom or outside time is the answer. However, I do think some sort of guided or framed reflection exercise might help create the inner dialogue that each of us needs in order to improve upon an understanding of our unique skill levels.
To Jay: This is something that has confounded writing consultants and teachers alike. It is frustrating, but people come to us with different expectations and needs. For whatever reasons (usually time factors),sometimes students just want you to fix their papers as they appear (often just grammatically), rather than wanting us to help them make any type of organizational or any other type of changes which require thought or time.
I applaud you for your professionalism in inviting the student back to the writing center. Perhaps this student will be more receptive to your help now, and that is a good thing. After all, we are here to help create better writers, not better papers.
Ok, so now how does one add a cool little pic like Dion did? I went into the Hello Kitty or picasso or mi casa es su casa site, but I can't figure out the url to put it on the posting.
Envious and clueless in Cinnamon Lake
ok, disregard the previous entry. I have made myself one element more computer savvy.
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