Ashton Sippel-Edwards
While reading through The Dangling Modifier’s most recent issue, I came across an intriguing question posed by Professor Elizabeth Boquet: “Is the writing center primarily a space?… Or a temporality?” (qtd. in Richards). Boquet initially posed this question in 1999, but I feel compelled to consider it within the context of the pandemic era. How has the chaos, trauma, and fear of a global epidemic redefined tutoring, for both students and tutors? A year of virtual learning has proven Boquet’s second interpretation to be true: the crux of tutoring is the act, not the location where it takes place. However, this act depends on the condition of its undertakers; therefore, it has become vital for us to recognize the importance of mental health in writing center work. Otherwise, we risk negating an important factor of student life, as well as our own health. Coronavirus has provided common ground for both students and tutors to begin directly discussing and confronting their own mental health. As a result, mental wellness should gain greater recognition as an important topic of discussion, and become a higher priority for students, writing center staff, and the larger communities which sponsor our work.
But how do we define this common ground? Over the past year, all of us, regardless of background, have been forced to confront an onslaught of negative experiences. Due to our forced migration online, tutors such as Caitlin Robbins write that it has become “necessary” for tutors and students “to create their own unique subdivision of [the writing center]” (Robbins). In many Zoom meetings, you will see classrooms consisting of ovens, televisions, kitchen sinks, and other household amenities. Prior to Coronavirus, the college campus could be left at the end of one’s day; now, it is with us 24/7. We have all been forced apart by this pandemic, and if you ever feel that the isolation has become too much just remember: you are not alone.
Not only has Coronavirus created this shared experience, but programs such as Zoom have provided new levels of privacy during sessions allowing for more personalized discussions. While physical centers often pair students and tutors individually, there is always a chance that information is overheard by others in the space. In contrast, writing associate Jack Egan writes, “Zoom provides a feeling of privacy to both writers and tutors” (Egan). Both parties are equally ensured that the content of their discussion stays confidential, thus providing an extra layer of intimacy. As a result, these discussions are no longer limited by the physical space, and the session can evolve beyond the writing. Because of this newfound privacy, tutors have an opportunity to engage in more personalized, empathetic work.
Mental health work can be a messy task, and as tutors we lack the skills of trained counselors, but that should not prevent us from relating to students empathetically. In my own work, I have seen students rush out of the center because of their anxiety, and I myself have occasionally felt similar compulsions. But oftentimes, I have found that the best solution for this is the least comfortable. In a survey conducted at Madison Area Technical College, peer tutor Jessica Roder found that less than half of her colleagues felt comfortable discussing their mental health within the Writing Center (Roder). I can personally attest to the challenge of discussing stressors with clients and colleagues; however, the times when I shifted out of my comfort zone, and addressed these issues directly, helped me discover new tools for building rapport and helping individual students grow. I believe the Writing Center can further solidify itself as a place for mindfulness and self-reflection, on both sides of the table, by breaking down the stigma around mental health.
Some of you may be asking, “Why the writing center? Would it not be easier for students to rely on their counselors, advisors, and other non-academic resources?” First of all, students may be unaware of the services their community offers. If this is true, then the writing center can act as an information hub and advertise local resources. For instance, consider the counseling and mindfulness resources provided on your college campus. If you are unfamiliar with these resources, consider doing some research on your institution’s webpage; you may even discover tools for yourself. Once you have found useful intel, consider relaying it during consultations. When students and tutors are able to share in these experiences, and discover new assets together, both gain new members of their support network. Boquet writes, “[the writing center] offers possibilities not intended or accounted for in the original administrative idea” (Boquet 469). As peer tutors, we do not exist to make teachers’ lives easier, but instead we seek to help students navigate the road to success in whatever form that takes. Writing center work should not be confined to the needs of a writer but expanded to meet the needs of any individual. This is our chance to prioritize student-tutor wellbeing as a necessity.
People have been struggling with mental health long before the Coronavirus came along, but this pandemic has forced all of us to address issues that we might otherwise evade. Regardless, our isolation should not stop us from confronting these issues together. In my mind, the writing center is a perfect space to begin these discussions and engage in the dismantling of stigma around mental health. Although the purpose of our center’s creation was to work on improving English; our ultimate goal should always be the empowerment of students and tutors. So, next time you are working with a student, old or new, consider checking in with them to see how they have been doing mentally. Or, if you begin work with a student and they seem upset consider offering them your ear. If this first step is taken it will open up the door to a whole world of possibilities.
Works Cited
Boquet, Elizabeth H. “‘Our Little Secret’: A History of Writing Centers, Pre- to Post-Open Admissions.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 50, no. 3, 1999, pp. 463–482. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/358861. Accessed 29 Mar. 2021.
Egan, Jack. “Zoomed Out: How the Virtual Sphere Has Changed the Writing Center.” The Dangling Modifier, 24 Nov. 2020, Zoomed Out: How the Virtual Sphere Has Changed Writing Tutoring – The Dangling Modifier (psu.edu). Accessed 29 Mar. 2021.
Richards, Isaac. “Accounting for Time Zone Differences in Virtual Synchronous Tutoring.” The Dangling Modifier, 24 Nov. 2020, Accounting for Time Zone Differences in Virtual Synchronous Tutoring – The Dangling Modifier (psu.edu). Accessed 29 Mar. 2021.
Robbins, Caitlin. “Online Tutoring: The Writing Center’s Storyland.” The Dangling Modifier, 4 Dec. 2020, Online Tutoring: The Writing Center’s Story Land – The Dangling Modifier (psu.edu). Accessed 29 Mar. 2021
Roder, Jessica. “Tutors with Disabilities and Mental Health Concerns; Underrepresented but Very Much Present.” The Dangling Modifier, 4 May 2020, Tutors with Disabilities and Mental Health Concerns; Underrepresented but Very Much Present – The Dangling Modifier (psu.edu). Accessed 29 Mar. 2021.
About the Author
Ashton Sippel-Edwards is currently a Tutor at South Puget Sound Community College. Ashton originally worked as a Student Tutor, up until his graduation last June, and returned in September as a Tutor Tech. This Fall, Ashton will be attending the University of Portland as an English Literature Major and hopes to pursue a career in creative writing upon earning his undergraduate degree. Ashton’s major interests are writing, music, and playing video games with his Pitbull Honey Bean.