Its funny, but I wanted to be a writing center con...

2008-11-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

Its funny, but I wanted to be a writing center consultant for purely selfish reasons: I wanted to hone my editing skills. When I applied to the writing center I wanted to use my time there to develop new approaches to looking critically at my own work, and to make my own papers as perfect as possible. I don't think this is unreasonable, because I look at everything I do in my academic pursuits from this perspective. However, what I have discovered as I have begun to consult on more and more papers is that I enjoy the process as well. This was actually a surprise to me, because while I do have a desire to be good at what I do, I did not expect it to actually make me feel good too! So now, I get a sort of double bonus out of working at the center. And if you include getting to know the super-awesome, rad dudes that also work at the center, then I feel triply blessed!

I want my training to introduce me more thoroughly...

2008-11-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

I want my training to introduce me more thoroughly to the different standards of academic writing. I'm a graduate student in an English department; I know those academic norms - what are they in other fields? Other countries? But mostly I want my training to force me to look at my own tutoring practices, not just the writing of first and second year writing students. Tutor training may consistently introduce us to changing new freshmen writing, but after several years of that, it's old hat. Make us look at other tutors in action, so we can discuss what was effective, and what could have been improved. Make us look at ourselves.

Comments on PeerCentered: Pondering

Its funny, but I wanted to be a writing center con...

I want my training to introduce me more thoroughly...