Final Thoughts on English 383

This semester in 383, the information we worked with and the different activities we did seemed like a lot to swallow. As far as the readings were concerned, I thought they were amazing in giving us an introduction to the different things we would encounter during my shadowing experiences, the Boys and Girls Club visits, and the College Mentoring project. To be honest, I initially did not understand the point of some of the activities we engaged in, like the visits to the Boys and Girls Club. However, at the end of our final visit with the students, I realized that it is important, as writing consultants, to be able to know how to help students with different assignments they may come to the writing center with. After all, with society becoming more technological, it is important and nice to get some training in helping students with digital assignments.

English 383 has given me a skill that I know will help me become a better writer, and allow me to share my knowledge with other students by working with them to help them become better writers. One thing I do wish I could have done was maybe conduct on of my shadowing experience to get the full effect of what it means to be a consultant. The shadowing was the one aspect of the course that I thoroughly enjoyed, because I could see what I could possibly be encountered with as a consultant. However, I think if future consultants in training are allowed to conduct one or two sessions (maybe one on their 3 visit and one towards the end of the shadowing experience), and then received feedback from the consultant the in-training consultant is shadowing, it would definitely make a bigger difference and really prepare the student for what is to come. I had a great experience in 383, and I hope future students will feel the same way as I do.

Athletes and the Writing Center

While doing more research on my intended subject for my final project (working with ESL students), I came across an article that addressed a subject we never discussed in 383-athletes and the writing center. I started reading the article and immediately got trapped in it. The article spoke of the struggles that athletes face when writing. Robin Redmon Wright, author of Coaching Critical Thinking:Tutoring Towards Self-Sufficiency, "Student athletes are often under-prepared and ill-equipped to handle the rigors of college level writing assignments" (2). Wright also adds that male athletes are thought to be strong rather than expressive and vulnerable. As a result, they are unable to utilize personal struggles and life experiences in their writing, something that professors usually look for in writing assignments. In addition, athletes are underestimated academically and are even looked down upon by professors. Thus, athletes tend to shut down, refuse to seek help, or try to make an effort. Instead, Wright attests that athletes make excuses for why they cannot succeed in writing assignments. However, with the understanding and help of writing tutors, athletes can get past their fears and open up in their writing assignments. Wright says that by challenging athletes to think and engaging them in a conversation, along with understanding their interests (such as football or basketball) and the time their athletic obligations require, the tutor can establish some trust with the athlete which will help them to think critically in the end.

In the end, reading this article and realizing the struggles of athletes and the attention they need ultimately changed the subject of my final project: working with athletes in the writing center.

Writing Center and ESL Students

Since our discussion on the Writing Center and ESL students, I have continued to wonder: is any other way to help ESL students with writing English? I found an interesting article that really gives some great ideas on how consultants can help ESL students. One of the points it makes is the fact that in Universities, professors usually do not have the time to work with ESL students and help them with their writing. That is where the writing center comes in. It can work as an "adjunct in the process and collaborative approaches" in helping foreign students struggling to write English. It also sheds light on the issue of cultural differences and how that could possibly affect consultations and the collaboration between the student and the consultant. It does, however, seem to imply that writing centers should have ESL specialists. While I do think that specialists would be great for the ESL students, I think it would also take away from consultants learning something new from the session. Regardless, I thought this was an additional source for us to look at as the semester ends.


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Last Hoorah at The Boys and Girls Club

On the last trip to The Boys and Girls Club, Sherzel and I were able to help our student get familiar with Creative Commoms, Audacity, and Photo Stage. Since Sherzel used these for her digital story, she was able to help the student a bit more than I could. I must admit that it was a learning experience for me as well. We also helped our student record herself saying something just so she could get use to hearing her own voice when she actually went ahead to record her script. I think our student felt a bit at ease about finding pictures for her story. After showing her how to find pictures, music, and using photo stage and audacity, we allowed our student to explore on her own, and when she had questions, Sherzel and I would help her with an answer.

I think that a lot of the techniques we used with our student, especially on this last visit, can help when consulting with writers on their text. It is a great idea to help writers realize how they can improve their writing by pointing out a few things to them, and then allowing them to use the guidance they received from consultants to pin point other aspects of their writing that they should or would like to improve on. This is especially important when it comes to grammatical errors, because the Writing Center is not a "grammar shop. It focuses more on making better writers.

College Mentoring Part 2

So last Saturday, we worked with the high school students involved in the college mentoring program. This time, I did not work with the same student as I did the first time around. I worked with a male student whom I will refer to as Fred for the purposes of this blog. When we first got there, Long and I had already sat down with our first student from the first session, but then I was assigned to work with Fred which I thought would be better because it would just be nice to have a one-on-one session. Fred and I first got acquainted with each other--I asked him his name and introduced myself. We then talked about the mentoring program for a little bit and the colleges he was looking to apply, one of them being MIT. I then asked him about his essay, which he wrote on why MIT would be a great fit for him. I read the essay over and just made some initial or little corrections on it. Then, I talked to Fred about the strengths of the essay and what I thought he could improve on. As I talked to Fred about some of the improvements he could make with his essay, his shyness in the beginning turned into a defensive mode. He tried to make excuses for everything I pointed out, and at first, I thought he just wanted to let me understand why he made or wrote something. However, after his fifth excuse for the fifth point I made, I realized that Fred was getting really defensive about his paper, not in a negative or belligerent way, but in a sort of "I don't want you to think I'm stupid" way. So my question, then, is this: how do you help students make improvements in their writing without the student feeling as if you, the consultant, are trying to say he/she is stupid or not so smart?

Second Trip to Boys and Girls Club

The second trip to the Boys and Girls Club was not as great as I hoped it would be. I was a bit flustered and worried about my own personal problems before going to the Club, and it had an effect on my whole mood. So, honestly, I did not feel like being at the Boys and Girls Club. When we finally got there and started working with our student, Sherzel and I quickly caught on to the fact that our student was not as enthusiastic about the project as she was the first time we met her. First of all, she did not have her folder that had all her information in it, so we could not help her with her script. We tried to help her with other parts of her project, but she continued to say that we helped her with what she needed and she would finish the project with her mom. Her objection to our help and the slight attitude she had added on to my frustrations, and I was honestly ready to just get up and give up. That is when Professor Dolson stepped in saved the day. She talked to the student and got her thinking, which really helped to get her to be a little more positive in the end.

The experience taught me something that I think is very valuable when working as a consultant. I realized how important it is for me to leave my personal problems at the door when I walk into the Writing Center, because students seeking help do not need and should not pay for my own problems, and it will definitely have an impact on how I help students. I also learned that when a student is somehow disinterested in the assignment they are seeking help for, it is important, as a consultant, to learn what the problem is and to find a way to attack it. With Sherzel and my student, her lack of enthusiasm was a result of the fact that she felt like the guidelines of the project (including the interview questions) were too strict and did not allow her to do what she wanted with her project. It was hard to find a way to tackle the problem, but I think Sherzel and I were able to help her a little, and I was able to learn valuable lessons from the session!

Helping ESL Students

One thing that attracts me about the University of Richmond is that students are not divided up based on their ethnic backgrounds and whatnot. The University does well to integrate the student body, and I think that having one Writing Center for the student body works well in integrating students. For me, it would be saddening if the University found new consultants for ESL students because it would really be a division of sorts between students. Working with different students from different walks of life benefits everyone involved, because the consultant learns how to handle different students and the student learns how to seek help from people who are different. It is all a cultural and educational experience.

In Monday's class, someone said that maybe it would be nice to have Japanese consultants for Japanese students and so on. However, I think that may send a negative message, as if saying "Your problems are too big for an English student to help you with". What if a Japanese consultant let a Japanese student off easy because they didn't want to make the student feel bad? The student would not really be benefitting. The Writing Center should be a place where everyone involved with it in one way or another should benefit, and assigning students to different consultants based on their background would defeat that purpose. Every person struggles with writing in one way or another, and they all deserve the same help available!

First Visit to The Boys and Girls Club

On our visit to the Boys and Girls Club yesterday, I was very impressed with all the students working on the digital story, especially the student Sherzel and I worked with. She had not completed her interview yet, but she was in the process of getting pictures that were relevant to her great-grandfather, the person she has chosen to interview. She seemed to have great ideas as to what direction she wanted to take her story. She gave us some background information on the digital story project first so that we could get some understanding of the expectations for the story. After that, Sherzel and I showed her our digital stories and asked her what she noticed in both that she thought would be helpful for her when she goes on to complete her own story. She also told us a few things about her great-grandfather in terms of the man he is and some of the things he has done in his lifetime that she plans to incorporate in her digital story. Sherzel and I then showed her Rachel's digital story just to give her an idea of another route she could take to make her project different or unique and creative.

Our student shared with us that her great-grandfather had Alzheimer's Disease and asked for advice on how she could suppress her impatience when interviewing him. I was able to give her some helpful tips since I am a very impatient person myself. I told her to just remember that it was not her great-grandfather's fault or choice to have the disease, and because of that, she needed to be sympathetic and understanding. One simple thing I advised her to do is that when she feels herself getting impatient or frustrated, it would be a great idea for them to take a break and maybe get her great-grandfather and herself a glass of water and then resume. Other advice Sherzel and I gave our student was to just start off broad, and then once she had her interview done, she could decide on the main points she wanted to bring out in her project. We also encouraged her to avoid asking others how they are doing their projects so that she would not fall into the trap of comparing or doubting her ideas and project in terms of others. My main goal in going into this first visit was to make sure that the student had some ideas and was working towards something, and I think Sherzel and I did well in helping her feel more confident in her original ideas.

Plan For The Boys and Girls Club

I do not have a full plan for the visit to the Boys and Girls Club on Monday. I think this first time around, I am just hoping to get acquainted with the project guidelines and the purpose of the project. After that, I hope to get an understanding of where the student is planning to take his/her project: what ideas already exist, how he/she is hoping to get a message across, and what he/she hopes to accomplish in the end or gain from the project. My hopes is that the student will try to have some fun with the project. I think starting out without limiting him/herself will be important for the beginning of the project. It give the student more room to just explore ideas and paths to take with the project. Hopefully, I can relate my journey with creating my digital story with the student and that will help him/her move forward with the story. I plan to point out a few things to the student though, like the importance of images and the impact that can have in making his/her story intriguing and unique. I hope to encourage the student to also be creative and come up up with his/her own ideas to add a bit of flavor to the final product. I hope to gain some experience and insight from this experience. I am going in open-minded, and I hope that will carry me through and make me resourceful to the student.

Fifth Consultation Experience

Today's consultation was probably the one I enjoyed the most. The writer came in very eager to discuss her paper and to get feedback, which got me excited to help her. I realized that when the writer is excited about her writing, it makes it easier for the consultant to also be excited and ready to help in anyway possible. The student came in with just part of her paper written, because she was not exactly sure where to go with the rest of her ideas. She really did prove to have an understanding of the writing assignment as she was able to explain the assignment clearly to the consultant and me. She was convinced, however, that is a "terrible writer". Yet, her paper was very well written and it conveyed her thoughts very well. She was not trying to sound too academic, which worked out well because it made her ideas clear and straightforward. The consultant then helped her to generate the rest of her ideas for the remainder of the paper, and the writer was really appreciative of that. I realized today that just allowing the student to talk and explain things to the listener really helps to explain things to student as well.

After the consultation, I asked the consultant about how she deals with "traditional" and "non-traditional" schools. She reiterated a lot of what some of the articles mentioned in terms of the eagerness and the preparedness of the "non-traditional" students. She shared some of her experiences with consulting a student from the School of Continuing Studies. She said that all the students she had encountered from SCS came in on their own will, ready to work, and they were just happy to be there. She also mentioned that she did not find it awkward at all to assist such students because she has never felt out of her comfort zone around adults. I then asked her about ESL students versus students who grew up speaking English. She said that she spends a little more time helping ESL students with their grammar than she would with an English-speaking student, simply because there is a barrier there. I talked to her about my concerns with helping an ESL student particularly and my fear of possibly offending them. However, she did assure me that it is scary and frustrating at first, but with practice, it gets easier to understand their struggles and the best way to assist them. It was helpful to hear this from someone who has experienced working with ESL students, and it kind of relieved me a bit.

Fourth Consulting Experience

On Monday, I walked into the Writing Center for my fourth consultant shadowing. This session was rather short, as it lasted for about 20 minutes or so. The writer was pretty much set to go, because her paper was well written, so it was easy for the consultant to just point out a few things to the writer. It was a bit hard to understand, though, if the paper fully addressed every part of the assignment because the assignment was so vague. So, the consultant advised the writer to talk to her professor, mention what she has so far, and ask if she was on the right path. I thought this was very important, because the consultant could have easily had the writer's attitude of "Well, she didn't give any specific instructions". However, by encouraging her to talk to her professor, it showed that the consultant did care about helping her accomplish her task.

After the writer left, I asked the consultant to read one of my papers that had already been looked at by another consultant. I found it really helpful when I went back to fix my paper, because she gave me different ways and approaches to making my argument better. She did not disagree with the first consultant's ideas, but she provided me with alternate ideas to think about, and that was really great. Having two consultants read my paper also gave me more feedback on how clear my paper was based on the feedback I received. It helped me see that my paper may be more confusing to more than one person, which is motivation for me to really try to correct any ambiguity in my writing.

Follow-Up on 10/13's Class Discussion

In class today, we talked about several different aspects of end commentary. One thing that stood out to me was the question of how important end commentaries are to students. My Organic Chemistry professor always emphasizes that he is not looking at how students start out in the beginning of the semester, but rather, how they finish it--their progress. I think this applies to writing as well. I believe that professors look to see how a student progresses, regardless of the subject field. Paying attention to end commentaries can be really helpful in improving grades and improving writing techniques. I can personally attest to this. In my Sociology 101 class, my professor assigns four memos for the semester. These memos are just basically meant to show our understanding of the material we read and learn in lecture. When I wrote my first memo, I thought I had done an absolutely wonderful job on my reflection. However, when I received my memo back, I noticed that I had lost points because I failed to focus on specific examples and thoroughly explain my thoughts. My professor pointed this out to me in his end commentary. Thankfully, I read and heeded his advice, and this helped me to earn full credit for my second memo. If I had decided to just toss the memo aside and disregard the end commentary, it would imply to my professor that I really do not care about attempting to improving, and I think showing improvement earns students extra brownie points, something that I realized especially in my General Chemistry class last year.

I also wanted to mention my thoughts on what I think distinguishes directive and facilitative commentary from positive and negative commentary. I think positive commentary is having an appropriate balance between directive and facilitative commentary whereas negative commentary is having just directive commentary or facilitative commentary. As I mentioned in class, I think a good balance between directive and facilitative commentary is important in helping the student see his/her weaknesses and strengths. Being simply harsh is a great way to shut down a writer, while sugar-coating his/her mistakes or failing to point out mistakes does not really give the writer an incentive to really attempt to work on improving. As far as what is an appropriate or good balance between directive and facilitative commentary, that is up for debate. So I guess my question is: What is an appropriate balance between directive and facilitative commentary?

The Impact of Teachers' Comments

    Before actually reading Richard Straub's article, I read the four different commentaries and tried to find distinguishing factors in each one. First, I glanced over each commentary, and what struck me was the decrease in markings from one commentary to another. The first one, the directive response, was just completely marked up in comparison to the last commentary which had four marginal notes. In addition, the concluding comments were very different, as the first one basically TOLD the student to follow the suggestions rather than giving her the choice to either heed or dismiss the suggestions. What also makes the first commentary different from the other three commentaries is the lack of encouragement for the student's work. In the first commentary, the teacher writes that the "...general organization is fine...", as if she feels obliged to give the student some credit for her work--it just does not appear to be sincere like the encouragement from the other three teachers (228). The first commenter also lacked questions, unlike the other three. This suggested, at least to me, that the teacher lacks some respect or acknowledgement of the student's ideas. Rather than asking questions to try to figure out what the writer meant, the commenter just marks up different things, automatically assuming that the student is wrong.

     After reading Straub's article, I gained a better understanding of and a greater appreciation for the work writing consultants do. In essence, the teacher whose comments are aimed "...to allow the student to retain a certain amount of control over the writing..." acts as a consultant, because he/she is asking questions to understand the student's ideas and giving positive feedback while making suggestions on how to make the paper better (237). Just as writing consultants are available to make better writers, teachers need to give constructive feedback and give the student the chance to understand the reader's confusion so he/she can learn what works and what doesn't, making him/her a better writer. If a writer is not given the opportunity to think for himself, there is no way he can improve his overall writing. Personally, I find professors who relate their reactions to my writing to be very helpful, because I don't feel as if they are simply doubting me as a writer. Often times, negative criticism tends to result in hostility. However, if an individual hears constructive criticism, he is more willing to make changes to clarify concepts and ideas. Obviously, it is important for professors to keep in mind that they are professors, not friends and fellow classmates of students. At the same time, however, they must also remember that the only way to help students become better writers, they must be encouraging rather than overly critical of the smallest mistakes.

Third Shadowing Experience

     This afternoon, I had my third shadowing with a consultant. Today was just an overall dull day, so I was not too excited about shadowing like I was last week. I felt like there was not much consultation today, because the writer did not send her paper to the consultant ahead of time. So, majority of the time was spent reading the student's paper and trying to understand what the assignment was. One thing that the consultant did differently today, which I thought was tedious but really helpful, was the way she helped the student with the organization of the paper. She read each paragraph and wrote down the main point of the paragraph. She then tried to help the writer to find a way to condense the paper by helping her figure out which paragraphs she could combine together.

     I think writing down the main ideas of each paragraph was very helpful to the writer because she was able to actually see the repetition in the paragraphs and why it was a problem. Thus, the changes that the consultant suggested made more sense to the writer, because she was aware of what the consultant was pointing out. That was the biggest lesson I learned from today's session--when trying to help a writer make changes in their writing, it is important to show him/her the mistakes and help him/her understand them rather than simply claiming that something is a mistake.
    

Progress In English 383

*Since I cannot find the blog I began writing in class, I've decided to re-write another one*

I was very excited to register for this class last spring. It was the one class I looked forward to, because I love writing and I want to help others to love writing just as I do. I think I have learned a great deal so far, through the articles and books we have read thus far. It is helpful to read materials that re-emphasize what I already know and materials that teach me new things. I must say that the one material I thoroughly enjoyed reading was Under The Grammar Hammer. I was a bit skeptical about reading it in the beginning, just because it seemed like something an elementary student would read. However, it really helped me to understand concepts I tend to struggle with, like verb and subject agreement.

One thing I can definitely work on for the rest of the semester is reading other students' blogs and giving feedback on them. I think I can also work on my blog post and making sure I am on top of that. The only problem I have with English 383 is that the due dates for assignments tends to be confusing. It is a little hard to keep up with when things are due because it seems like there are no set due dates for certain things, so it becomes stressful to complete some assignments. In addition, some of the assignments are just confusing and I just don't understand exactly what they are asking for. It is also hard not having a hard copy of the syllabus to have on hand. Overall, I still do enjoy our discussions in class. They really help in getting me to think and to understand different aspects of writing. I am looking forward to the rest of the semester!

Second Writing Consultant Shadowing

I had my first real experience shadowing my writing consultant today. I was able to witness the end of one consultation and an entire consultation. The entire session I experienced was the one that really caught my attention. The student came in without her paper printed, thus, the consultant had to assist her on the computer. I several different things that the consultant pointed out to me in my first visit. Before she did anything, she asked the writer what the assignment was and to give a little background on her approach to the visit. Then, she read the paper and made mistakes to initial mistakes she noticed while reading. Following that, she talked to the writer about her impression of the paper and worked with her to make changes. The writer asked a question that relates to something we had discussed in class: "Is my grammar alright?" I was anxious to see how my consultant would answer this. Rather than fixing her grammar mistakes for her, the consultant just pointed out a few things she had noticed with her grammar and then pointed her to different sources she could use to help her with her grammar.

The writer's topic was very interesting. However, I got the sense that she did not really believe in what she was writing. I think that is probably what made it so hard for the consultant to help her. In addition, it seemed like the writer was hearing what the writing consultant was saying, but she was not really listening to the advice and help being given. I found myself getting frustrated each time she cut the writing consultant off. Her topic was one that related to me, and each time she seemed like she was defending the real-life story she was telling. However, I realized how much I needed to just keep calm and simply do what I am being trained to do: help people become better writers. So this was truly an experience for me, and I think it will definitely help me in the future.

Consultant Shadowing (Day 1)

For my first day shadowing a writing consultant, the consultant and I just pretty much talked about what it is like to be a writing consultant and what her sessions are usually like. She had no appointments set up, so all we could do was talk to each other. I asked my consultant what she usually does or tries to do with each session. She looks for an emailed draft of the writer's paper and prints out, briefly reading through it and makes few notes about what she is seeing. If there is no emailed draft, she spends the first few minutes reading over the draft the writer brings to the session. She takes the first couple of minutes just getting to know the paper and the assignment. From there, she asks the writer exactly what he/she wants to work on. She gets the writer to talk about what he/she is working (i.e. texts, discussions, etc.) on and what he/she thinks of the it. She then goes on to point out different trends she sees in the paper and tries to help the writer to see how those mistakes can be fixed by having the writer talk about the trends. My consultant also related several stories of students who will come into the writing center for help with study abroad applications and grant applications. This caught me by surprised in a way, because I had never thought that students could go to the center for help with applications. In my head, I just figured that students use the writing center for class assignments, so hearing about the students who come in for application help was an eye-opener for me.

One piece of information I found interesting in my conversation with my writing consultant is the way she helps students who may be having problems with making an argument in a writing assignment. She noted that the hardest thing a writing consultant faces is helping writers with an argument or working on the message of the paper. Her approach to this problem? She says she just tries to get the writer to talk. She encourages them to just say their argument out loud. As the writer speaks, she makes notes of what the writer is saying. In the end, she takes the writer through the notes and helps him/her to see ideas that he/she did not realize existed. So, in a sense, she has the writer free-write out loud. I also asked her about something we discussed in class: what do you do when a writer simply wants help with grammar and punctuation, not with argument? Simply put, she just helps them a bit with what they want, but if she sees something while reading the paper, she makes sure to point it out in the nicest way possible. However, if the writer is stuck on getting help only with grammar and punctuation, she just refers him/her to the writer's web or gives them handouts available in the writing center that deals with grammar and punctuation.

Although there was no appointment for my first day of shadowing, I think that I actually appreciate the opportunity to sit down and talk to my consultant before actually diving into an actual session with a writer. It is great to hear what a consultant should or should not do from a professor or from the boss, but it is more empowering to hear it from a consultant who has actually dealt with writers in sessions.

High School Mentoring 9/11/2010

       Long and I worked with a high school student whom I will refer to as Maria. Before officially meeting Maria, I could tell she was shy and low key, for lack of better words. I was a little nervous to actually begin talking to Maria, because I was not sure if I could get her to let loose and just talk about her ideas. Fortunately, I had Long right by my side. Maria had some great ideas written down. She had began answering some practice questions she received from the mentoring program here at UR. While working with Maria, I started to get the sense that she was allowing her shyness to keep her from fully expressing and exploring her ideas further.  So, Long and I gave her some advice on how she could formulate her ideas fully on paper. With that, she began writing and putting pieces of her ideas together.
        As time went on, Maria seemed to be struggling with the process. She was thinking about the writing way too much. She reminded me of myself during my college essay process. I was the one struggling with starting my essay because I was stressing myself out about it. I remember talking to my older brother about my essay and he gave me the best advice anyone could give: "Just write woman! Write! If you spell something wrong, don't cross it out or erase it. If you make a mistake, don't stop. Just write! You'll have time to go back and fix your errors, but for now, just keep writing!" So, when I realized that Maria was having the same problem I once had, I related my brother's advice to her: "Just write! Don't worry about your mistakes, just keep writing!"Unfortunately, Long and I didn't have enough time with Maria to see how everything ended up for her. I learned a lot from Maria, too. Her ambitions actually impressed me and motivated me to keep going in school. She is a brilliant girl, and I hope that her essay writing process ends well!

My Experience With The College Mentoring Program

        With the tutoring program on Saturday fast approaching, I thought I would share my experience as a college mentor during the fall semester of 2009 with juniors from Richmond Community High School. It was a bit hard to focus on one particular student during my time with RCHS because I had about 4 students (as did each mentor). For the first 2 visits, I allowed the students to just talk about their college expectations, including their fears and excitements, and to ask me about what my college experience had been like so far. After those visits, we moved on to colleges they were looking at, and I helped them to figure out what those colleges were looking for in applications.  When it came down to preparing to apply for college, I encouraged the students to, first off, put their anxieties away and remain calm and focused. Then I related what I did to prepare for the college applications and essays. Each week, I did a bit more research on schools I was interested in and tried to narrow down the list. I also began writing down ideas for essays and elaborating on topics that I thought would be appropriate for a personal statement. Practicing writing a essays for my college application really did help me to write the "real" essay when it came time to send applications to colleges. By the end of the mentoring program, 3 of my 4 students expressed how much better and excited they felt about writing their college essays because they had utilized the advice I had given them. In the end, my goal for the program had been accomplished.

       Almost all high school students who are beginning the college application process are anxious and afraid of something. However, I found that by encouraging, assuring, and sharing my experiences with them, they began to feel more at ease about the whole process. It is always nice to have someone who has been through the same situation to be available as a resource.

Writing Skills and Anxieties

       Reading the assigned pages in The Bedford Guide really helped me to remember some of the anxieties and concerns I once had about writing and the progress that I have made in my writing. Toward the end of last semester, there were so many family problems that developed and I found them taking a toll on my final writing projects for classes. I remember going to the writing center with concerns about my paper assignments and the tutor took time to sympathize with my personal problems and help me to get on track with my paper. After my session with the writing fellow, I realized that my problem was exactly what was mentioned in the book, I was worrying about everything else at the same time rather than splitting up the tasks and working on them individually. However, once I did take time to work on each part of the writing assignment carefully, I found myself less stressed about the completing the paper.

      The idea to do something enjoyable at the end of completing an assignment also helped me to calm down and find satisfaction in the final product of my paper. Of all the suggestions made in the The Bedford Guide, I think reading my paper aloud with a writing consultant by my side is what really drove the improvement in my writing because I could hear and see the errors  I had made without someone else saying "That's wrong." I was able to pick up on sentences that made little or no sense at all and make an effort to correct them. So, I guess I can say that I am living testimony that the suggestions giving in the book really do work in helping students improve their writing skills. I personally will always thank the Writing Center and the writing consultants for helping me with my writing.

The Entertainment Issue

While reading Valerie Perry's "My teacher hates me! The Writing Center as a Locus for a Rhetoric-based WAC Program," I came across a statement that intrigued me. Perry writes, "Some professors will claim in class, on syllabi, and on students' papers that logic and structure are more valuable than the 'entertainment' factor, and yet we choose to read books, articles and papers that entertain us, that mesh with our own interests and views; we reward, consciously or not, papers that do the same" (3).  While I have never believed that professors grade papers partially, Perry's statement had me second-guessing a professor's ability to put aside his/her personal tastes in literature, papers, articles, etc. to assign the appropriate grade for a paper based on its "logic and structure".

Just consider this. I love novels by Nicholas Sparks. I absolutely love and praise his works. If asked to pick between Sparks' A Walk To Remember and Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, I would pick A Walk To Remember without hesitation. Sparks' novels are entertaining, though A Tale of Two Cities is not bad at all. I would give higher marks to Sparks' novels because they are far more entertaining than A Tale of Two Cities. So, is it possible that professors may look for papers that appeal to their own interests? It is not completely out of the question. After all, they are human, too. In that case, should students be concerned about how well their papers will entertain their professors?