PeerCentered

Last week I tagged along with our Writing Center director to Freshman Orientation, in order to 'represent' the Writing Center. After struggling to assemble a rather complicated poster contraption behind our folding table and admiring (coveting) the library table's schmancy set-up with lap-tops, a table cloth, and candy, we settled in ready to arm incoming students with Writing Center bookmarks and pencils. The students rushed the room in big clumps. I attempted to give a bookmark to anyone that would make eye contact with me. A few times I almost forgot what I was doing and said "Vote for Change"...but it was not election flyers I was handing out, but a valuable summary of what the writing center is: information that defines my academic passion, my pedagogy, and my day-to-day work. Most students opened their complimentary trick-or-treating bags just long enough for me to drop a pencil in and moved on to the Student Health Insurance table, which was giving out c

Brazen excuse time: Because of the hectic-- hectic, I tell you! --spring semester, my bloggy presence was rather lackluster, if not bordering on the non-existent. But one of the topics that I wanted to blog about and didn't get to because of my incredible lack of mad organizational skillz was the Rocky Mountain Peer Tutoring Conference that took place in Boise, Idaho. (If you like, you can easily jog your memory of this conference by scrolling down and re-reading the posts that were written about this event.) I thought the conference was a huge success, despite my presence. That, my friends, is a clear marker of success. One of the pleasures for me (besides grazing at the stellar dessert table) was getting to meet other consultants and tutors from other areas of the country. Whoever came up with the "Game Night" idea is brilliant (no, it wasn't me), as it allowed the local BSU consultants to easily connect and socialize with those that had made the trip from out-

Ah, summer readin'... reading so relaxed you have to drop the "g." I just finished reading a great Tutor's Column in the March 2008 issue of The Writing Lab Newsletter . The article, written by Emily Plummer, discusses the importance of making "small talk" in a tutoring session. She brings up some insightful points that illustrate the positive benefits of small talk, not the least of which is using small talk to make a writer feel more comfortable, as well as establishing a rapport with the writer. When I first started doing consultations, I didn't engage in much small talk. Engaging in the rhythms of small talk has never been easy for me. I'm too self-conscious. My feeble attempts (How bout this weather, huh?) sound forced because they are forced. Being a newbie, I was hyper-aware of everything I was doing in a consultation--to my own detriment. After a few months of doing consultations, however, I found myself becoming more comfortable with

Well, my series of posts on difference in the writing center kind of fizzled out. I have to apologize for that. After the ECWCA conference, things just got backed-up for me and unfortunately this blog hit the back burner. I really enjoyed the conversation from the posts I did get up (and from this blog in general). I never did write posts on gender, age, and sexual orientation, although I had planned to. I'll be working reduced hours in the WC over the summer. Due to typically slow summers, we're only open a part of the time, and with less tutors. So just a quick poll today - is your WC open over the summer? If so, are hours reduced? And how about actual use? Slower, busier, or about the same?