Smile, You’re on Camera: The Implications of Facial Expressions During a Session

By Sophie Hulen

It is common in our writing center that either the advisor or student in a session will read the student’s paper out loud. However, for the few who are extremely uncomfortable with this practice, we read their papers silently. But silence can make students uncomfortable, too, as they anxiously wait for verbal feedback.

I came to this realization in a recent session. When I asked the student if one of us could read his paper out loud, he laughed and asked me to read silently; because he laughed, I assumed he felt relaxed. So, I got down to business, quickly becoming absorbed in the paper and my thoughts regarding it. All of a sudden, the student stopped me:

“Why aren’t you smiling?” he asked. “Is my paper not good?”

I was stunned. It had not occurred to me that this student would be looking for affirmation in my facial features. What I expressed as concentration, he interpreted as consternation and criticism. At first I was a little peeved. Oh great, another guy wants me to smile. It seems rather logical that when I relax my face, I relax my mouth as well, as it is pretty painful to wear a huge grin all the time. The feminist chorus in my mind simultaneously rolled their eyes and huffed: I don’t need to change my facial expression to please a man.

Still, maybe there was something to be gained from this interaction. When I read a student’s paper out loud, I generally give some sort of verbal aside in addition to speaking their text. This indicates that I am engaged and also explains my thought process to the student. However, in the case of silent reading these indicators are absent. This is where two very different values of mine clash. On one hand, it is not my responsibility to change my facial expressions to please others, but on the other it is extremely important to me that the students I advise are comfortable. So where is the line? I stand firm by the belief that my facial expressions are my own and are not be dictated by others, but if it helps a student relax during our session together, it might be worth a smile or two.

 

Hullen_picSophie is a junior English major and music/communications minor at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. She is in her second year as an advisor and still enjoys every opportunity she has to learn something new from the students who visit her. Sophie believes that writing is a crucial skill for everyone–regardless of major or discipline–and hopes to pass her love of writing on to those with whom she works.

One thought on “Smile, You’re on Camera: The Implications of Facial Expressions During a Session

  1. As an undergrad, I had an instructor who would occasionally read my paper while I sat there in her office. She would chuckle, groan, and make all sorts of faces and noises as she graded it in front of me. What an awkward position to be in!

    I love the explicitly feminist commitment here to bodily autonomy in this article. An important observation, made all the more important as it is nuanced, taking into consideration the social impact of that body. I’m left thinking about other ways gendered relations might impact our positions as “readers/tutors.

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