Frequent Fliers

Fei's case study fascinated me. I wonder if incorporating repeat assignments (invitations) and reflective self-assessments on writing would help raise our students' awareness about some of the issues the case study reveals: the granular focus on grammar, the reluctance to take and make time for multiple drafts and levels of revision, the difficulty in understanding the chaotic, nonlinear nature of improvement. I don't blame Fei for refusing to make "got worse" about any aspects of her writing on the survey. This shows she has internalized the very American normalization of linear progress, a mythic heavyweight among sociocultural forces. She also commodifies time and resists explanation from others (uptake of individualism?) These implicit, even insidious, narratives structure the public relations challenge of any writing center: it's okay to slow down, collaborate, and learn through mistakes at any stage of the learning and writing processes. The writing center is downright counter-cultural, from this perspective. The handbook notes English language learners and students with disabilities have a double burden because of taking "extra" time to complete assignments, but everyone faces some form of these problems. Do students and tutors realize they're up against such structures? How can we better illuminate the costs and benefits of taking more time up front to learn strategies for gloriously "effective" writing in the long view? 


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