Memo #6

I am feeling confident about where I am this far in my research. I have been able to interview the following individuals: the RIC writing center director, a first year tutor at RIC, a tutor at NPHS, a tutee at NPHS, and the two faculty directors at NPHS. I have also tracked down two articles that focus on writing centers in secondary schools. I am convinced that writing centers should be implemented at the secondary level, as well at the post-secondary level.

My most recent interviews with the folks at NPHS really proved to me that writing centers play a key role in not only improving students writing, but also in creating a safe space for students.  The tutor I was able to interview was a senior and has been tutoring for three years. For privacy purposes, I will refer to her as Kim. When I asked Kim what she enjoyed most as a tutor, I got a different answer then I expected. I imagined she would take credit for helping other students improve their writing, but instead she told me her favorite part about tutoring is that she can be herself, and that the Writing Center is a safe learning environment. Although this was an unexpected answer, it lead me to realize how a safe learning environment can positively impact the writing experience for the students who utilize the WC. I also was able to find a scholarly article titled The Writing Center as a Key Actor in Secondary School Preparation, which argues that “The writing center enables students to focus on writing as a process in a creative, supportive environment (Tobin 230). I believe that this “safe space” environment factors in to the reason why writing centers are so helpful for students. When students feel safe, they feel that their writing is not being judged. Therefore, they are able to share their work and let their writing be open for constructive criticism. This environment enables students to learn because they can be open and honest about their struggles with writing, and they can engage in a one on one conversation to talk through writing strategies and how they can improve. This truly is a unique learning environment, one that is not typically accessible in common classrooms.

As a researcher, I can conclude that writing centers are effective in many different ways, and should be implemented at a secondary level. Even though the individuals I interviewed at NPHS were using a writing center at a secondary level, versus the RIC Writing Center, I was still able to find many similarities between the two. All of the directors strongly believe in what they are doing and that the writing center is beneficial for tutors and tutees. Also, both tutors from RIC and NPHS believe they have grown from working at the WC in multiple ways. Their writing and social skills have improved based on their experiences as tutors. They also have realized their true potential, and have gained confidence in themselves from working as tutors. I believe it is hard to truly measure just how many positive outcomes and gains come with writing centers; there are simply too many to measure. This project has motivated me to work as hard as I can to implement a writing center at which ever school I work at. My only frustration is that not enough high schools are doing this. I want to find a way to get the word out, and make an effort to have all schools work to implement writing centers. There are some obstacles that may interfere with this task, but they are not hard to undertake, and the outcome will be worth all the fight.