From having been in the writing center for so long, there is not much I would consider new information that I have learned about the negotiation of power and identity within a conversation. The writing center is all about conversation and there are definitely some strong personalities that walk in through the door. Some are more difficult to work with than others. As a cornerstone of our philosophy, we are not out to make ourselves seem like the authority figures who hold power over students in any way. We are simply there to supplement and aid when we can. There are some instances when a student will try to assume more power than might be warranted, however, and try to get the coach to do something they are not fully comfortable with. It is at that point that the coach must negotiate with the student and meet them half-way, where reasonably possible, and then allow for the student to either do the same or not.
I'm not 100% sure what this blog question was asking but this was the first thing I could think of after reading the question.
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