Prelude: The Chipmunk Connection - Moravian College

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Writers at the Center Focusing on ideas, not punctuation, develops better thinkers and writers. By Meg Mikovits ’03 Photos by John Kish IV Many students who visit the Writing Center for the first time enter the room with one of two misconceptions: either they expect to drop off essay drafts and later pick up revised, edited copies ready to be submitted to the professor; or they steel themselves to face tutors who will barely be able to conceal their disdain for unsophisticated first-year writers, all while fixating on draconian grammar and mechanics rules. Neither of these beliefs is true, of course, and both actually run counter to the goal—shared by Moravian’s Writing Center and hundreds of others—espoused by Stephen North in his landmark 1984 essay, “The Idea of a Writing Center.” “In a writing center,” asserts North, “the object is to make sure that writers, and not necessarily their texts, are what get changed by the instruction.” Writing tutors aim to help writers become more comfortable with their own writing process and style—not to impart the tutor’s own preferences on a paper or to provide judgmental commentary about a writer’s shortcomings. Writing Center visits generally are relaxed and informal. Tutor and writer sit side-by-side, and the writer retains control of the paper and pencil (or computer) throughout the session. The writer explains the assignment, shares any areas of concern, and then reads the paper aloud. The tutor will take notes or sometimes interject to ask questions as the paper is read. The real work happens throughout the remainder of the session, when the tutor and writer discuss the paper. Talking about the ideas contained in a paper, rather than focusing on the specific words written, is a highly effective way to make sure a paper’s content is logical, organized, and appropriate for the assignment. Usually, the writer leaves with copious notes and a solid plan for further revisions; ideally, the writer and tutor meet again to review the revised draft before the paper is due. Writing Center tutors are an integral part of this system. All of our tutors, predictably, are strong writers. Beyond Get it in writing: at the Writing Center, tutors and writers discuss ideas first. 16 MORAVIAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2010
that, though, they are friendly, assertive, and creative. Tutoring demands the ability to work with writers of differing abilities, assignments from every academic department, and papers in varying stages of development—often in back-toback-to-back tutoring sessions over the span of a few hours. Tutors are also relentless supporters of the writing process, and will help writers understand how time spent brainstorming and prewriting can greatly impact the effectiveness of a paper. They often use creative revision strategies to appeal to a writer’s interests and learning style. It’s not unusual to see tutoring sessions where papers are colored with highlighters or crayons, or literally cut apart and shuffled around. Writing centers teach writers how to be resourceful, interactive, and critical thinkers. We tell writers that what they do in the Writing Center can and should be applied to any writing task, in class and at home. A student in my Writing 100 class last semester showed the impact the Writing Center can have, beyond the grade on a given paper. This student had visited the Writing Center many times of her own volition, and she was a good writer—not exceptional, though certainly not weak. What made her stand out among the rest of the class was her performance during our in-class peer workshop sessions. Rather than offering bland advice about comma placement and word choice, she dove into the content of her peers’ papers and offered helpful and insightful feedback about content and organization. She asked probing questions and was able to elicit thoughtful responses; she and her peer workshop group consistently made great strides from their drafts to their formal essay submissions. As someone who tutored for many years before teaching composition, I am especially aware of the potential synergy between the writing classroom and the Writing Center. I encourage my students to visit the Writing Center at various stages of the writing process, and I try to give my composition students a crash course in writing center pedagogy. This, I hope, lets students know why the act of giving and receiving feedback is valuable, especially in a writing class that emphasizes a process-based approach to writing. Though many > students at first find it easy to fall back on the easier and safer tactic of proofreading each others’ papers for punctuation and spelling, it is clear that the students who do utilize the Writing Center find themselves involved in a far more engaging learning experience. W Meg Mikovits ’03 earned her M.A. in English from West Chester University in 2006. Next year, she will serve as director of the Moravian Writing Center. SUMMER 2010 MORAVIAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE 17
Page 1 and 2: SUMMER 2010 Moravian Words Count Mo
Page 3 and 4: summer 2 Prelude: The Chipmunk Conn
Page 5 and 6: The Chipmunk Connection By Lois Bru
Page 7 and 8: June Guitar Classic Classical guita
Page 9 and 10: Transformation of Collier Hall Begi
Page 11 and 12: LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Warm gree
Page 13 and 14: oyce Hinnefeld, associate professor
Page 15 and 16: of Matches and The Anthologist, whi
Page 17: Not Your Mother’s Freshman Comp M
Page 21 and 22: dedicated Precious to her sister Ca
Page 23 and 24: Alumni Weekend Where were you Alumn
Page 25 and 26: transitions Look for Class Notes On
Page 27 and 28: Our greatest need The Moravian Scho

Prelude: The Chipmunk Connection - Moravian College

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