Satellite Observations

Satellite Observations (The Library)
The library is not too far removed from Bessey Hall. That is to say, I don't think that there is a large difference between the clients in the two places. However, I noticed significantly less ESL students at the library than are normally seen at Bessey Hall. However, I was only there once so that might be more of a fluke than an actual truism. It seemed a little bit more hectic there than at Bessey, however. Many students have yet to come to terms with the new policy of allowing only appointmetns rather than walk ins. Those students who go to Bessey Hall seem to have a better understanding (in some cases, certainly not all) of what it is we do at the writing center. Clients at the library seem to expect quicker fixes which often translates to last minute revisions. Again, we get this at Bessey as well but it seemed more pronounce this time I was the library, probably becuase this was around midterm time.

I am not certain how I feel about the half hour sessions. There are many times where I have consulted clients myself, when this would have been enough time. Other times I've had clients that sign up for an hour but actually require much more help. The problem is, I think, that it is often difficult to be certain exactly how much time you require. I know that I myself would have a problem with this if I were to make an appointment. It is a difficult choice to make. Making the sessions an hour long would guarantee that those who sign up will get all the help they need, but that may leave a lot of time left over if they finish quickly, creating wasted space on the schedule that can't be filled because walk ins aren't allowed.

Satellite Observations (BACC)
I don't have too much to say about this satellite. I will say, though, that I definitely feel out of place in the business college. Everyone there is an a-type personality and, though I personally do have ambitions of my own, am most certainly a b-type. Generally speaking, the better arts and letters student you are, the more disheveled your clothes and the more messed up your hair. Everyone in this building is running around with suits and having important conversations. I definitely do not have that same sense of time urgency.

Again, like the library, I saw less ESL students here compared to Bessey. Again, this could simply be a fluke. I honestly noticed no serious difference from Bessey here, except the subject matter of the papers really.

Blog Post
These observations demonstrate the issue that has suprised me the most after taking this class. That is, ESL students. When I signed up for this class to work in the writing center, I did not consider for a second that I'd have to help ESL students. Even if I had considered that, I would not have thought that it is such an important issue. I might even say that it is the most important issue of the course, which makes senes considering 70% of our clients are ESL (supposedly, it isn't this case in my personal experience, I'm more like 50%, but I think it was Dianna who made that general estimate over the entire writing center).

I expected the class to be more focused on the sorts of things that are discussed in "The Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors." Things like different types of writers and different ways to approach consulting them. We did spend time on this, I just expected this course to be only about things like that. Ultimately I think it was important for us to spend so much time on ESL students, after all, they do make up a high percentage of our workload.