No Show?

So today I had my first writing center shadow. I was excited for the opportunity and a little anxious to begin. I arrived at the center around 4:45 when my appointment was to start at 5. I read the collegian in the lobby of the center and soon the consultant I was to shadow, Alex, came out of the room, introduced herself, and invited me into the room where the consulting takes place. I am just getting over being really sick, so my voice was a little raspy and I was a little out of it and I hope Alex didn't pick up on that. Alex wrote her report and answered any questions that I had while 5pm quickly approached. Minute by minute passed and no student walked through the door with a paper in hand. 5:10pm came around and Alex told me that the protocol was that after 15 minutes passed, the student is considered a no show and we could leave. So Alex and I chatted about her experience with the writing center for 5 more minutes and no student showed up. So around 5:17 or so, Alex and I both left the center. I was slightly disappointed, but I did not walk away from the experience empty handed.

As I sat on the couch on the side wall of the writing center, I was in a prime position to observe the setting and think about how I felt about the aesthetics of the writing center, as Dr. Essid asked us to do. I thought about a few things:

1. I love the round table and chairs. I think this promotes a conversation between the consultant and the student, and is less intimidating than a regular table and chairs.

2. The size of the room is perfect. It's intimate, comfortable (with the couch also promoting a sense of comfort), and allows the student to feel like they can open up his or her concerns to the consultant without feeling intimidated. The size of the room has a way of saying, "what is said in this room, stays in this room".

3. Two things struck me as negative aspects to the room: while the lighting was good, the lamps were unattractive and slightly harsh looking. Secondly, the bulletin board behind the table and chairs could be spruced up a bit and made brighter, a job I think many would be willing to take on!

So those are my thoughts on my first shadowing experience...without actually shadowing! Hopefully next week I will be able to talk more about writing.