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Home » Archives » Fall 2009 (Volume 7 Issue 1) - Professionalization and the Writing Center, Part I
The Write Time by Nia Klein, Eastern Illinois University Taylor introduces this article with the differentiation between chronos, or a linear and quantifiable aspect of time, and the concept of kairos. Kairos is less concrete and requires recognition of just the right moment to respond, as tutors, in precisely the way the writing student needs. Like the writing center, our society is in marked off, as he writes, in 30 — 60 minute increments, whether we are waiting for the doctor or watching our favorite television program. Some would argue that we, socially and culturally, are held hostage by this chronological preoccupation with time. Our institutions and business enterprises measure our worth by our “productivity” or how much can be accomplished within a pre-determined time frame. This preoccupation with the linear quality of time also permeates the work of writing centers. We search for ways our resources can be optimally utilized to meet the needs of students. We, as writing center consultants and directors, must be cognizant of the time constraints we face when working with students, but not to the detriment of the needs of the writer. Our schedules give us definable parameters in which to work, and we can recognize the beginning, end, and time lapsed in a session. A 30 or 45-minute session is easily identifiable and quantifiable, but how do we, as tutors, recognize these kairotic moments, these elusive times when a student is particularly receptive to teaching or guidance or learning? The writing center session, while occurring at a particular point in time, should also embrace kairos. Paying attention to the kairotic quality of the time spent with students will enhance our understanding of the rhetorical situation inherent in the writing center and thus produce better outcomes. Inspirational or self-help books often promote the idea that a crisis situation is an opportunity for change. Likewise, Carolyn Miller identifies kairos as “a time of tension and conflict” and “a time of opportunity” (52). This “time of tension and conflict” often resembles a crisis, if not for tutors, then certainly for student-writers. Often students come into the writing center in a state of crisis or panic over the writing assignment and continue to feel these negative emotions throughout the session. However, as I will show through an experience I had with a student, this crisis state can set the stage for opportunities to connect with students in teachable, kairotic moments.
Through recognizing their concerns at the beginning of a session, instead of internally rolling our eyes and thinking, “Oh, no, not again,” tutors are enabled to view the upcoming session as one full of opportune moments. “Emily” came to our writing center with an analytical paper the day before it was due, already a stressful situation for both of us. When asked what areas she thought she needed help with, Emily responded, “Grammar and content,” which means everything. It is not uncommon for students to present concerns