DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.
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DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

"Is it because I'm tall? Do they find me intimidating? Do they think I'm old? Should I smile some more? Does that actually make me look friendly or am I creeping them out? Why are their eyes so wide? I think that girl just shrank in her seat. Am I truly that frightening? Um, maybe I should ask more questions. Maybe I should pause...Okay, that was a bad idea. Awkward." 

 

 

     I feel like my students are afraid of me. As I stand there in the uncomfortable silence of the stuffy classroom, I feel their eyes roaming all over my body, but never meeting my eyes. Some students try to smile, but most falter nervously. A chorus of “Thank-yous” echo as I leave, but I can’t help knowing they aren’t heartfelt. They sound more like children reprimanded by their mother for not greeting the weird uncle at the family reunion. 


     It is clear that there is a large miscommunication occurring between my role as a writing fellow and my role as a peer. I think my students are scared that I am there to evaluate their work or that I will exert some type of power over them as their “superior.” Ultimately, there seems to be a fear of failure and fear of loss of power. I could be seen as a roadblock between their failure and success only because they do not understand the goals of the UCWbL program.

 

     I also think that the professor unwittingly fuels these feelings of uneasiness among the students. I think the professor expects different things from us Fellows and tells the students this without first clearing it with us first. The students then expect something completely different from what is actually going to happen. I think this fear stems a lot from the unknown. They do not know anything about me and they don’t know what the Writing Fellows are really about. There is a clear hierarchy established within the classroom that while inevitable, is extremely problematic and hyper visible. 

 

 So it goes:

PROFESSOR

Writing Fellow

Student

 

     While this pyramid may be true in a sense, I think that it should not be made so apparent because not only does it create apprehension, it promotes feelings of indifference, fear, insignificance and an opportunity for failure among the students.


How do I fix it? How do I make my students feel more comfortable with me before our conferences?


     One obvious solution is to be extremely clear with the professor. This is what we are here to do and this is how we will do it and also letting the students in on the game plan. Another way would be getting to know the students on a more peer level style relationship. I think using the D2L discussion board as a medium before meeting the class is a useful tool to engage as peers. I think setting aside ten to fifteen minutes of class time during the initial meeting would benefit the overall interaction between students and their corresponding fellow. During this discussion group, we can address the subjects on D2L and possible solutions. Some of the threads could be: 


-Fears, worries, concerns, and/or expectations about the program. How will we face them?


-Fun facts about each person just so we know everyone is just your regular, average human.


-Get to know me as a writer. Here is my process and how I respond to criticism.


     This helps create profiles for your students and you can get a heads up on how to interact with each individual. It also builds rapport between the student and tutor before the conference. You can offer reassurance and demonstrate that you were once in their shoes and you survived-so will they. The student knows what is important to you, the tutor, and how you can help them. The focus is no longer on the fear of the unknown, and the relationship is not as inhibited. You can get the awkward silences out of the way in order to move towards a goal.


     It makes it easier for the student to know they don’t have to be afraid of the tutor. We understand and we’re here to help.

 

 Reflection: 

 

Think back to your first quarter of college. Did you have a fear of failure? Think back to your first shift at the writing center, your first written feedback, your first conference? How did you feel? What could you have done to face those feelings? What could you have done to make the situation less nerveracking, less awkward? 

 

 

 




DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Works Cited


Harris, Muriel. “Talking in the Middle: Why Writers Need Writing Tutors.” College English 57.1 (1995): 27-42. Print.


Small, Ruth., Chauncey A., Sarah and Patricia McKenna. Motivation at a Glance: an ISchool Collaborative. School of Information Studies at Syracuse University, 2012. Web. 3 Nov 2012.

 

 Cox, Rebecca. “It was just that I was afraid.” Promoting Success by Addressing Students’ Fear of Failure. Community College Review 37.1 (2009): 52-80. Print.


 


DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.