Write On!
This is something you can do to help student writers feel welcome (and hopefully come again!).
What are:
- Smile!
- Make eye contact
- Take time to practice the pronunciation of their name
- Spend time getting to know them a bit
- Speak clearly
- Explain your role as a PLF
- Allow the writer to set the session agenda
- Remember to compliment the strengths of the draft (not just areas for improvement)
- Honor their time / make sure that they leave the session feeling heard/seen and that they feel the session was worthwhile
When booking their UWC appointment, student clients must also do this.
What is link their paper?
You should take these actions when facing a grammar question you don't know.
What is "be honest about the extent of your knowledge, admit when you are unable to answer a question and then help seek help from resources (including websites, books, handouts, Bruin Learn resources, other PLFs, the Director, etc)"?
This member of our community is from Santa Cruz and is working as a New Student Advisor (NSA).
Who is Gensen? (Hard G, like J)
This is what PLF stands for and why we use that term instead of "tutor."
What is "Peer Learning Facilitator"?
A tutor is paid to teach in a specific subject area. It's more "content delivery" and less "working side-by-side."
A peer learning facilitator focuses on student-driven learning, facilitating the learning process.
This is why YOU love writing.
What is_____?
Student clients can submit their work to be edited during these hours.
Never! The UWC isn't an editing service. Student clients should have a clear idea of what they want to work on and set the agenda. The session should be a collaborative conversation. PLFs should avoid writing on/typing on the student client's work.
PLFs can use one of these strategies when a student client says they want to focus on grammar.
What is:
- Get more information from the student about why they want to focus on grammar
- Read through the essay and discuss reserving some time for "grammar" but also some time for other things.
- Give them tools to learn about / practice / find error patterns in their writing
- Other ideas?
This member of our family is a double major in History and Russian - and studied abroad in Kazakhstan.
Who is Nina?
This clunky 1990s-interface program will take some getting used to, but it will be how you put in your availability, see appointments, submit reports, and more.
As a PLF, this is a "hat" you wear during a session (List any 3).
What are:
ally
coach
commentator
collaborator
writing "expert"
learner
counselor
and___?
Student clients have this much time to show up for their appointment before they lose their session to a walk-in or waitlist student (answer for both 30 min and 50 min sessions).
What is "10 minutes late" for a 50 minute appointment or "5 minutes late" for a 30 minute appointment?
This is one trick for determining whether or not a sentence uses passive voice.
What is adding "by zombies"?
(Also: underlining where the actor for the verb is and determining if it comes AFTER the verb or is missing).These three people are your receptionists for the summer. They know everything!
Who are Bryce, Nadya, and Dayanna?
You should be in close contact with them (via Slack) at the start and end of each appointment time this summer.
Although it sounds like PricewaterhouseCoopers, PWC in our context means this.
What is the Philosophy Writing Center?
(We also run the HWC - History Writing Center!)
But neither is open in summer.You can try this strategy when a student client asks for help on an essay about theoretical quantum nuclear hydrolinguistics.
What is:
- Remember that there are basics of writing that apply across many subjects (Structure, organization, clarity, conventions, having a purpose / thesis)
- Prompt the writer to tell you more about the conventions of their (the essay's) field / discipline / major
- Openly admit your lack of knowledge to the writer.
- Read the assignment sheet / prompt.
- Use the writer as a resource! Talk it out!
These are 3 of the Golden Rules of working at the UWC.
What are (any three):
- Always leave room for the writer to do the work
- Involve the writer as often as you can
- Observe, model, or question (instead of tell)
- Allow the student client to talk more than you do
- Turn complaints about professors/TAs into teachable moment
- Avoid "evaluative" language
- Never predict the grade for a paper
- Never write/type on a student client's paper, unless you have permission AND it's absolutely necessary
This is one website that is really helpful for grammar and other common errors.
What is Purdue OWL?
What is Paul Brians' Common Errors in English?
What is The Oatmeal's Grammar comics?
(bonus: What else do you use for reference?)
This member of the family is from the Central Valley and enjoys thrifting.
Who is Andrew?
This is the course you'll enroll in (in Fall or Winter) to get 2 units of credit for ongoing mentoring in composition and peer learning methodologies.
What is English Composition 175 (EC 175)?
This is what you should do when you can't make a shift that you are scheduled to work.
What is:
- PANIC!!!! (just kidding)
- Find a substitute
- Use Slack to contact all of the PLFs about the shift
- Use the PLF Staff Google doc to ask
- Fill out the Shift Swap From and let the Receptionists and Director know about Shift Changes.
- Remember to note any swapped shifts when filling out your timesheet
These are 3 expectations that the UWC has of PLFs.
What is:
- Attend pre-quarter training and trainings throughout the year
- Work a minimum of 6 hours a week
- Help ensure things run smoothly by helping each other (PLFs and receptionists)
- Be on time and responsible for your work
- Do your best
- Share ideas! Have fun!
This may be the problem if you have a Zoom appointment with a student client and you get the error message "Waiting for host to start."
What is "you clicked on the student client's Zoom link in Counselor Desktop instead of opening your own Zoom"?
***The person with the lowest points gets to answer this first!****
These are the 4 new PLFs starting in Summer Session A.
Who are Nick, Katelyn, Lily, and Gensen?
ROI may be "Return On Investment," but for us, it stands for this (and this is how we use it!).
What is "Record of Interaction"? It's Counselor Desktop-Speak for the notes you make at the end of a session. They help us keep track of who we serve, what they bring in, and what they want help with. We use them for statistics, but you can also read over ROIs to prepare for a session. Note: Student clients have access to them too, so don't write any ROI comments that you don't want the student client to see.