In the back of my mind, I've always held a tiny vision of me tutoring or teaching in another land far from home. My children are adopted from China, and as I've come closer to fulfilling my dream of earning my degree, I sometimes let my mind wander to the idea of taking my family there-- teaching English and learning about the culture--from a minority point of view. That's why "The sense of we within the I" caught my eye. It's an essay on the culture shock and learning opportunities of a young woman far from home. Sayantani Dasgupta's (from India) experiences as a tutor in the writing center focus on her idea that "everyone should be a minority at least once in their life." She discusses the importance of creating community on a campus that is diverse. At the University of Idaho at Moscow, there are over 90 countries represented. Many of these students meet at the writing center. From this place, many connections can be made, and stereotypes and biases can be eradicated. Listening to a different perspective, and from a different point of view, gives everyone, tutor and tutee, an opportunity to grow. With the world becoming more global, it is imperative to realize that "borders and boundaries are constantly created and dissolved." With this idea in mind, the writing center should be a place to share culture, language and values. As well as helping with that thesis sentence:)
http://emil.uwc.utexas.edu/praxis/?q=node/179
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