Everyone can get better at writing with instruction, practice, and feedback. People who get good at writing and communication often are more successful in school, college, and in their jobs. So, if we can help our classmates improve their writing, we might also be helping them do better in other aspects of their life, too.
Writing centers are a place where writers can grow because they get instruction, practice, and feedback on their own writing. Since getting better at writing is so important, we want everyone to feel comfortable using a writing center. It takes more than just saying that a writing center is for everyone though; we need to plan for a writing center that works for everyone. We want to make sure that all writers have access to our writing centers and that all writers feel like they belong. If we don't do this, we are giving an unfair advantage to only those students who have access and feel welcome.
When we think about access, we want to think about all of the ways that might prevent someone from being able to use our center. We will want to think about:
physical access: Can writers in wheelchairs enter our spaces and easily use our tables? Do our chairs work for writers of various heights and weights? Have we thought about how we might work with writers and tutors with vision or hearing differences?
logistical access: Is our writing center open at times that all writers can use it? Do writers need transportation to use our center? Are some writers required to be somewhere else during our hours? What could we do to accommodate those writers?
language access: Does our school have writers and tutors who speak multiple languages? Do our signs, advertising, and tutoring materials work reflect the languages our writers and tutors use?
Access is about whether writers and tutors can use our writing center. Belonging is about if they want to. Think about places that you go where you feel that you belong. Chances are in those places you are
warmly welcomed when you arrive
surrounded by familiar faces
allowed to be your authentic self (you don't have to pretend to be someone else)
safe and trust the people there to have your best interests at heart
understood and believed
recognized for your effort and accomplishments
invited to return when you leave.
A writing center team should aim to make every writer feel welcome in the space. In fact, when we feel like we belong and we are safe, we are more likely to learn. Most writing centers keep track of who uses the writing center in order to see if everyone is accessing the center. This kind of information can show if certain students (for example 8th graders, girls, or Black students) are or are not using the center as much as other students.
One thing to be careful of is creating a writing center environment that is very comfortable for the tutors but not for other writers who enter. Likewise, it is good if you feel like you belong to the writing center but just because you do, does not mean that everyone does.
Brainstorm with your team specific things that you might do to increase access and belonging at your writing center. Then, assign smaller groups to take action on the items on your list.