Whats the greatest misconception educators have about writing centers?
That high school writing centers should be places primarily for remediation. That’s wrong. While centers are a huge asset for students who are struggling and need more personalized instruction, they are also places for more advanced writers to do what professional writers do, which is find someone whom they can bounce ideas off of, someone who will be a critical reader of their work and give honest feedback. They are also for the “middle of the road” students, the ones who often get less attention than either the underperforming students or the high achievers. A center that is sold as a place for “bad writers” only won’t last very long because it stigmatizes the students who utilize it, whereas a center that has something for everyone truly meets the needs of all students. How do you get students to participate? I learned the best way to reach out to students is to have good word of mouth. If a student comes here and has a positive experience, she tells her friends, or even drags her f
