Hopefully this is big enough for everyone to read it, but I was in New York over the weekend and saw this sign.  It was in Times Square and was for Friday’s Restaurant.  The incorrect use of apostrophes reminded me of our class discussion earlier this semester.  Enjoy . . . I guess.

Portfolio

I just finished putting together a large portion of my portfolio and I am amazed at how my writing has improved over the last semester. I went over my work from the beginning of the semester and made drastic improvements. I think the portfolio was a very cool assignment in that we were able look back at our work and improve on it based on the techniques we learned over the semester. Realizing my own mistakes will help me to tutor others.

Lab Practical

So, I am sitting in the study lounge on the 4th floor of Padua and I feel like I have not moved for days. I have been studying for my Final Exam Lab Practical that I take tomorrow at 11. As I began to feel like I couldn't hold any more information about Bio, my mind started to wander and I began to think about my upcoming Writing Center Consultation, where I will be the consultant. I am getting nervous as it approaches, I don't know why though. Maybe the nerves are actually just for this upcoming Practical and all the other papers and projects I need to hand in before finals begin? I feel really prepared after everything we have discussed, read, and practiced in class, but I can't help and feel antsy.

natasha tretheway

This past Friday, I had the chance to sit down and speak with Pulitzer Prize winning poet Natasha Tretheway during lunch in Saga. Being apart of Dr. Turner's American Literature Survey 2 class (and the fact that I am writing my final research paper on her work) I was allowed to sit down over lunch with her and a few students and ask about the publishing process, my paper, etc. The reason why I'm talking about it on this blog, is because we actually talked a little about Janisse Ray (Tretheway is also from Georgia!) I thought it was pretty cool that I could talk so casually with a poet about a meeting that we had with a different poet.

Siena Fest reflection

I agree with everyone, Siena Fest could have been alot better if things had been more laid back. However, as my freshman year winds down, it was just nice to have a few days' break from work and stress. In my opinion, you can't beat warm weather and the company of friends. Sure the rules were incredibly lame, but I also think that Siena Fest was as good as you made it. I felt like the weekend was a success, and I actually feel ready to take on the end of the semester and finals.

Siena Fest

Anyone who wants to feel bad about their Siena Fest..just remember that unlike everyone who got to enjoy the nice weather outside, I was stuck on duty making rounds of Hennepin. Though I do feel bad because last year was so much more fun than this year...but next year should be sooo much better

I feel really bad for you guys that that was your first Sienafest. It really was such a let down. I hope you guys at least got free t-shirts

I was also really excited for SienaFest, but it was a let down.   It wasn’t fair that the rules were so strict.  Looking ahead to this week, now, I am a little nervous for my first consultation in the writing center.  It is going to be a strange experience having another student trust me with their work.  I just hope that I’m able to keep the things that we learned in class in mind during the session.  With this I think it will go alright.

After Siena Fest, Back To Work

All year long I’ve been hearing of how amazing Siena Fest is and that it’s supposed to be the best time of the year. After participating in my first actual one I must say I’m very disappointed. With so much security everywhere and no underclassmen being allowed up to the townhouses my options of activities were fairly limited. But, now that the weekend is over, and classes are quickly approaching, it’s back to work so I can finish the semester off on a positive note.

Catholic Traditions Paper

I am sitting here (when I should be at Sienafest..long story) writing my paper for Catholic Traditions. Of my many term papers I was required to write at the end of this semester, I am finding this the hardest of all. Analyzing a character is easy once you get into the swing of writing, however, I feel as though I am writing about a foreign topic. I am not very religious and some of the teachings I have to write about are very hard to grasp....plus I can't stop thinking about Sienafest and what I'm missing....

First Day of Springs Fest

The first night of Spring Fest, for me at least, was pretty boring. With the town houses completely blocked off and no accessible route to get up there I had nothing to do. Public safety was everywhere, literally everywhere. Even all the places to go off campus weren’t available tonight do to age restrictions. I ended up simply watching The Hangover and calling it an early night. Pretty boring.

I think that this has been the best blog that I've "required" to date.  Almost all of your comments were thoughtful, genuine, and relevant, and I've deeply enjoyed reading your posts.  I am very lucky to be working with such diligent and engaged students (and I often brag about this to colleagues)!

Now that you are so knowledgeable about the WC, I'm interested in hearing about new initiatives and activities that we can work on developing next year.  FYI - We created a blog for the WC (though we haven't used it yet).  Hopefully you'll be up for continuing such conversations . . .

Soon we will all be tutoring in a the real-life Writing Center. At first I was a little nervous about it, but then I realized it's just another learning opportunity and we also have the chance to use the skills we've learned to help someone else out with their paper. I think we all have a strong enough foundation from what we have learned and practiced in class to be successful peer tutors.

Peer Review in Foundations Class

Today in my Foundations class we had our first peer review since I have been in Writing 240. I immediately noticed that I was using tutoring strategies that we have learned in class. I was taking notes, and checking to make sure everything was working to prove the person’s thesis statement. During this I realized tutoring can be somewhat tough. The fact that the person was reading through their essay very quickly did not help, but it was kind of tough to keep track of everything while trying to jot little notes down. I assume like anything, with practice it will get easier, but I am just worried about my first few tutoring sessions and not being a very good tutor. Hopefully when I do my first session it is a little bit easier than this one.

Stereotype

I wonder if that perception of a writing center being just to fix grammar will ever change. It's almost like a stereotype that's hard to break. I think that if teachers preached it more, rather than just saying "go to the writing center and get your paper stamped," then maybe people would have a better understanding. It might also be the fact that people who don't enjoy writing don't really care to know about the writing center, like my friend who just wanted her paper edited and be on her way. I'm not sure if there's even a way to change that because it's her mindset, but the least we can do is each spread the word. Also, I noticed that the two times I've observed the writing center the tutor never explained the writing center. I see how it could be kind of awkward being like "so, did you know the writing center stands for..." but that might solve some of the issue if the tutor explains it somehow.

3rd Writing Center Observation

Today, I had my first experience seeking a tutor at The Writing Center. I had originally believed that it would be beneficial, but was surprised as to how much it helped. My paper was originally almost an entire page too short. After making some corrections based on my tutor's suggestions, my paper ended up being the correct length, and I am much more confident with the material before I entered. I felt very comfortable within the writing center and with the suggestions they offered.

"Fix-Up Shop"

Today my friend completed the first draft of a paper, and told me he was thinking about going to the Writing Center. He asked me what a session was like, and I explained that they will help him organize his thoughts and develop his paper. Of course, I noted that the purpose of the Writing Center is not to serve as a "fix-up shop" for papers. He seemed disappointed, and a little deterred, by this fact. I encouraged him to give it a try, and told him that I could guarantee that he would leave the Writing Center with more confidence in his paper. It troubles me that this is such a common and widespread misconception of Writing Centers.

Writing centers are to fix my grammar

Today while at Saga with my friends the writing center came up in conversation. One friend actually said how she gets annoyed when people of different majors that aren't outwardly good at writing try to tell her what to do. She said she'd rather have her grammar fixed and be on her way. I found this interesting because I wouldn't have thought twice about her comment before taking Peer Tutoring. Now we know better and we have learned that a writing center is not a "fix it up shop" and is meant to not only help one paper, but the student's overall writing abilities. I found it funny that people still have that same notion about going to a writing center, that they just want their grammar fixed. To me it displays the lack of knowledge out there, specifically at Siena, about writing centers. Maybe there needs to be more information put out there. Rather than just saying "go to the writing center," it should be taught in a class, like Foundations, some of the main principles of the Writing Center. The writing center isn't for everyone, but it's better for someone to have an accurate portrayal of it rather than to think it is just a place to go to get a quick fix on a paper.

Being that it is the end of the semester, I am bombarded with work. Granted, my own procrastination is to blame, but that doesn't really help the situation very much. It's a Sunday morning and I am awake much earlier than usual, and although I had the intention to get up early and be a good student and get a jump start on work, such is not the case. I have just about done everything other than start some work. I have even begun to work on a new story that I know will just end up being cliched and unworthy of revision. I think it's because I need to feel relaxed and settled before I start any form of formal writing; I need to be sure that I have eliminated any reason for distraction. I guess it all comes down to our writing processes, we all work differently. It's weird and I am trying to get away from it, but I can't work any other way.

Just as Francesca said, I have also thought a lot this semester about the pressure I will feel while working in the Writing Center. It scares me that I have some control over the grade of another student. I have decided, though, that this will be something that can help me a lot in my tutoring. I will put as much into the consultation as I would into my own paper, simply because I know that the work I am producing will be graded. As the semester winds down, I'm beginning to get excited for working with students when we come back in the fall.

Confusion

Prior to this course, I was unsure of whether or not I even wanted to work in the Writing Center. At the start of the semester, I was a little hesitant about having so much pressure put on me, knowing that a student's grade was at stake. I did not know how much the job of a peer tutor actually entailed, for I always believed it was simply a proofreading and editing job; a job I could definitely do well. This course has taught me so much and I am now confident that I will be able to be a peer tutor in the Writing Center. I still have a few qualms about the fact that a student will be depending on me to help them become a better writer and improve their pieces, but the more practice I get, the more confident I become.

I feel that the book that helped me the most this semester would be "Woe Is I". I really enjoyed reading it because it was the first time grammar seemed fun and interesting in the sarcastic way it was written. I suggested the book to my mom who is a children's librarian and found there is a version for kids as well at teens/adults. The library is now ordering both copies. I also suggested the book to one of my high school english teachers who I have managed to keep in touch with, and she is looking into setting aside part of her budget to buy these books too. I plan to utilize a lot of the reading materials I have read throughout my time thus far at Siena into my own lesson plans when I teach high school english. Especially "Woe Is I" because it is hard to teach kids grammar without hearing the sighs and groans.

Like Craig just wrote, I can't believe we only have a handful of classes left until we're done and go home for the summer. I definitely have a lot of work to do, though, which is always the down side to the end of the semester. I'm starting my paper for this class at the moment, but I am having a difficult time finding journals relating to peer tutoring. There are only a few that apply to higher education that come up when I search "peer tutor high education", but I guess I'll keep up the search and see what I can find.

Major observation differences!

This past week, I went into the Writing Center to do my third Observation report (I decided to skip the second until it got a bit busier.) I was amazed at how different the session seemed coming from a writer's point of view as opposed to a by-stander's. Naturally, the fact that I had a different tutor that I was observing than the first time played a role, but I found it easier to answer the last few questions on our Observation Note sheet. I knew how I had felt during the session clearly, and I could pin-point things that may have rubbed me the wrong way or that I would like to use if and when I become a tutor. I think it was a nice progression from reading about WC's and how to tutor, to observing how one tutors as an on-looker, and then experiencing their tutoring style first-hand.

End of the semester?

This semester has gone by way too fast. I cannot believe we only have a month left, and a few short weeks until Siena Fest. I am happy with the progress I have made this year as a writer. I recently switched my major to English and ever since my workload, when it comes to writing, has considerably increased. This has afforded me the opportunity to work on my writing skills, whether I wanted to or not.

Liz Funk Thoughts...

I was just thinking about how much having Liz Funk present to our class has affected my mindset as a college student and as someone who is soon to graduate. I mean, she wrote a book before she even graduated college and pretty much determined her destiny as a writer by getting things done on her own. It seems that she gets her success from striving for the things she wants. She didn't just sit around and wait for opportunities to come to her. She sculpted her present by showcasing her writing talents and making connections within the field. Personally, entering an uncertain job market in 2011, I'm realizing more and more that I will have to reach out to companies and job prospects and really highlight my talents and best achievements. I think having writing as a minor is definitely a plus in applying to any job. There are few jobs that don't require some kind of writing skills. No one wants an illiterate employee and one who's a good writer is a plus. I'm happy I chose writing as a minor, and that I am taking Peer Tutoring. Writing classes are a plus on a resume, especially if I end up applying to editorial or publishing jobs.