If a 10th grader needs help writing a critical analysis of "Huckleberry Finn," where can she turn for help?
An English teacher? Perhaps. But classroom teachers are juggling hefty caseloads. It's unrealistic to think they can offer individualized writing instruction to each and every student.
A parent? Maybe. But considering today's hectic work and family schedules, what's to guarantee that a parent, even one with the time to offer homework help, is comfortable advising his child on the inner workings of a standard, five-paragraph essay?
To ensure all 10th graders get the writing help they need, the Minnetonka School District, in conjunction with the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation, recently unveiled the Writing Center.
The Writing Center, which is located in the high school, offers specialized one-on-one writing help to any 10th grader in need.
In fact, any student in the school can take advantage of the free tutoring sessions provided there.
Aron Larson did just that. Unhappy with the grade he earned on his recent "Huckleberry Finn" analysis, Larson brought his essay into the Writing Center.
He wanted to rewrite the paper, and hoped to gain a higher score, but wasn't sure how to start over.
"Generally, I feel like I do well writing essays," Larson explained, "but in this one, my teacher said my thesis wasn't arguable, so that's kind of a train wreck for the rest of the paper."
Larson spent 20 minutes with Maggie Shea, the center's coordinator and lead teacher. Shea offered suggestions and redirection.
Larson said he felt good about the help he received. "I'm already brainstorming ideas," he said, noting that Shea approached his assignment in a logical, understandable way.
"She used a method that made sense to me and I can see myself applying it again in another paper," he said.
For her own part, Shea said she finds great satisfaction in helping students with their writing needs.
"Working one-on-one is such an effective way to instruct students in writing," she said, stressing the fact that she avoids writing on a student's paper, preferring instead to make students take notes and mark up their own page.
"With Aron, I really tried to get him to tell me why his thesis wasn't arguable," she explained. "I want to put the onus on the students, have the light go on in their own heads."
While her post at the Writing Center is new, Shea is familiar with Minnetonka schools.
She completed her student teaching in the district and returned after graduation to teach English at the high school. She gave up the job to raise her children, but wasn't able to give up her love for the written word.
She began a career as a freelance writer and worked from home, producing articles for a handful of local publications.
Now that her children have gained some years, she was looking to return to teaching.
"I like being part of a learning community," Shea said, "and the writing center is something that's close to my heart. It really brings together both my interests - writing and teaching."
Even though the Writing Center officially opened its doors after the Thanksgiving break, Shea has been busy building the center for some months now.
She attended a conference in New York specifically designed to address the organization of secondary student writing centers.
The conference energized Shea as she met educators in similar posts from across the nation, including Milwaukee and Chicago.
High school writing centers, while popular in both these cities, are a new idea for the Twin Cities.
In fact, as far as Shea knows, Minnetonka's Writing Center is the first of its kind in the state.
The concept, which began on college and university campuses, is starting to find acceptance and momentum in the country's high schools.
So far, the district is pleased with the center's work and hasn't ruled out the possibility of expanding the service into the middle school and elementary levels.
Before opening her doors directly to students, Shea has been working with high school staff to assess their curriculum needs.
Beyond supporting the English department, she will support teachers in other subject areas. Science and social studies teachers, she said, assign written lab reports, outlines and research papers, too.
Shea has also been visiting classrooms and introducing herself directly to students.
Kate Callahan has joined Shea in her classroom visits. Callahan is assistant coordinator of the Writing Center.
Callahan, a Minnetonka native and class of 1997 graduate, is already well-versed in the ways of a writing center. She spent her college years working as a peer tutor at her own campus writing center and later taught college-level English classes. She has also taught English abroad.
"We have a sign up sheet in the hall for student help," Callahan explained, "and we're open before school, during the day and after school."
"We're next door to the career center, across the hall from the guidance center and the media center is right down the hall. We're this nice little pod of student services," she said.
Once the center finds it footing, Callahan and Shea hope to create a student advisory committee to help them plan writing enrichment activities. Already, a few postings on the wall advertise essay and poetry contests.
In addition, the Writing Center would like to host a series that brings in a variety of professionals for a day.
"I'd like to see a forum where students interview people from different professions and hear how important writing skills are in the real world," Shea said.
Kate Bryant, a Minnetonka parent and board member of the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation (MSPF), is excited to hear about everything the Writing Center is doing. That's because the foundation is helping fund the idea.
The foundation, explained Bryant, which was started in 1987, had been functioning as a grant-making organization, awarding money to district teachers seeking dollars for new classroom ideas.
But this year, the foundation opened its checkbook and helped start the Writing Center.
"In 2004 the foundation started an endowment fund," Bryant said; she now chairs the endowment committee.
"We hosted our first big fund-raising dinner and put all the money we raised aside. We planned to collect enough money to fund something the district might not otherwise be able to do," Bryant said.
"The foundation has been saving money for four years. It has around $700,000 in principal. We're using the interest to get the Writing Center started," she said.
"We have an agreement commitment with the district to fund the center. The foundation will supply $50,000 a year for five years. The district provides the space, the technology, the furniture and other supplies," Bryant explained.
"The foundation tries really hard to fund cornerstone programs, innovative ideas in core curriculum areas with long shelf lives that will touch a great number of students," Bryant said, noting that future endowment money might support math and science needs. For now, though, all focus is on the Writing Center.
"In high school, kids have such a need for writing skills. They face a huge array of writing projects, like college essays, scholarship applications, not to mention their class assignments. And there are extra curricular writing options like the school newspaper," Bryant said. "A writing center just seemed like it could be for any student, regardless of subject area."
