Peers have opinions too!

Unlike Peter Carino conveys in his essay, “Power and Authority in Peer Tutoring,” I don’t think a session automatically loses its egalitarian or peer-to-peer environment when the advisor steps outside of the “nondirective” method to offer advice. We, as advisors, may be more knowledgeable than students who visit the writing center when it comes to writing, but we don’t always know more about the subjects of papers, as Carino notes. In any situation, knowledge is not entirely equal—even friends give advice to one another. I know I don’t sit around with my friends asking, “Well, what do you think you should do?” if it appears that they may benefit from my opinion. The fact that I do give advice doesn’t really place me in a position of authority; it is simply collaborative thought. However, I think it is important to be aware of the way we word our advice to another person. For example, instead of saying “You need to. . .” I would prefer “I think doing this may help you. . .” or “It would probably be a good idea to. . .”. (<-- Is that period out of place?! The ellipsis is throwing me off.) Then again, these preferences may just be the result of my less-assertive nature.

On the other hand, I know the position of the advisor and the position of the student differ in a session, even in the eyes of most students. After visiting the writing center for the first time, I did view the advisors differently for a while when I saw them around campus. They were still my peers, but their position as an advisor set them apart from other people in some ways. Perhaps it would have been different if I had initially seen them outside of the writing center in a more informal environment. Still, that initial view of advisors was not necessary for me to accept their advice, though it may be for other people. I occasionally have friends look over my work and give me feedback as well, and their non-authoritative position does not make their feedback insignificant either.

On a slightly random note, the problem with “faculty who suspect tutoring is a form of plagiarism” might benefit from in-class demonstrations of tutoring sessions. Then again, a suspicious professor may opt out of such a demonstration, but there has to be some way we could show faculty members what goes on in the Writing Center. . .

Lastly, it’s great that “coffee, cookies, and couches” are common enough throughout writing centers that they can be called “the three Cs.” I was actually sitting on a couch, drinking coffee, and eating a cookie when I read that statement (not kidding), so it is pretty clear that I enjoy each of those things. They make me happy.