Writing Center: inner and outer spaces

Hi Readers,

Since our Writing Center is just getting started, the staff and I are finding time sharing stories about our writing center experiences and education.  We're planning to incorporate the things we like from our previous writing center to help build the foundation for this Writing Center.

Colleague N worked at her Alma Maters' writing center, where she held 15 minute sessions.  For her MA's degree, she opted for the creative dissertation option, where she created a chapbook full of short stories exploring "silence" ( physical, mental, emotional, et al ).  Colleague R started liking the college environment more when she started her graduate program.  She's exploring the application of writing center pedagogy in secondary education, which can be described as a "Traveling Writing Center" ( an idea where we take the writing center to the students, creating a more personal learning environment for the student ).  She's also exploring the perception of self as writer ( ethos ).

It was great to hear about different approaches to the Writing Center, and it was also affirming to find the similarities.  One similarity that we started to discuss was the importance of creating a welcoming and inviting space.  If there were only a trading spaces type of show for academic spaces, maybe our Writing Center's space aesthetic problem could be solved at a wink.  But there's none that we know of, so we have to make do with what we have.

At first sight, Colleague N commented on how the room looked like a high school classroom ( symmetrical with rows of table and chair ).  So we grouped tables to make stations.  We're in the process of dividing the room using implied boundaries ( the back area will be the workshopping/tutoring area, while the front area will be the waiting area where students can chill to write/read on their own while they wait for their session ).  We also brought bowls full of candy, and a mini-boiler for teas and hot chocolate.  We still have a long way to go, but we're glad that a little feng shui is making a big difference.