It is amazing how quickly a transformation take place.
How quick was that? I've only been in ENG 383 for little over a month, and already, I'm thinking like a writing consultant.
But what does it mean to "think like a writing consultant?"
Well, for me it meant not picking up on solitary grammatical mistakes, but recurring error patterns and point them out to the writer. It also meant paying more attention to the organization and presentation of the writer's ideas as opposed to just making sure the grammar was correct.
As I move forward in the shadowing process, I can only further look forward to more transformation in the way I read the writing of others and the way that I help them improve their own writing.
But what does it mean to "think like a writing consultant?"
Well, for me it meant not picking up on solitary grammatical mistakes, but recurring error patterns and point them out to the writer. It also meant paying more attention to the organization and presentation of the writer's ideas as opposed to just making sure the grammar was correct.
As I move forward in the shadowing process, I can only further look forward to more transformation in the way I read the writing of others and the way that I help them improve their own writing.
It's so exciting when something clicks like that, I completely understand your reaction! For me, thinking like a writing consultant means actively thinking. Which is a strange thing to say, but actively listening during the appointment, actively reading the paper itself, actively participating.
ReplyDeleteYeah I definitely agree. I had a similar sort of experience when I shadowed. It just felt sort of natural and I was thinking similar things to what the writing consultant was. It definitely made me less nervous about it and more confident in my ability to help someone with their essay.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me so happy! It's so great when you really start to feel like you fit into your role. I think that all of our class discussions have helped to make us think like writing consultants and we don't even know it! Even when i'm helping my roomates at home, i find myself asking questions like, "what are you trying to say here" and "why don't we just talk out your idea for a sec so you can wrap your head around it." We are starting to do these things without even thinking, and I can't wait to use this knowledge to help people in the writing center!
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