Grimm’s article got me thinking. When she began talking about Foucault, and his points about how the tutor-position was created to extend the power of the teacher, something clicked with me. I think one of the reasons the collaborative process works so well is because of the more personal relationship that it brings to learning.

It seems to me the teacher-role as it is articulated most often puts the teacher in an almost godlike position. The power to be judge, jury, and executioner resides in this conception of the teacher. The syllabus in most classes I’ve been in serves as a sort of bible, full of gospel-truth: it came down from on high, so everybody better conform or else a failing grade hell waits for you. (I’m exaggerating a bit here: I’ve had a lot of great professors that were not as bad as this!)

But this cold conception of a god/teacher—which was completely foreign to me until I hit college—still lacks a personal relationship.

During all twelve years of my education prior to college, I had one teacher. She taught everything: language skills, history, math, biology—everything. She was also my tutor, and one of my best friends (still is). Since I was the oldest child in my family by five years, she was also one of my few peers. She was my mom.

Now I don’t advocate home schooling for everyone, but it worked for me. Because of our relationship, I think I had a great deal more power in my education than many others do. I really can’t remember a single time she didn’t listen to my concerns; I often had a hand in crafting my own work.

She was no “expert” in many of the things she taught, or rather, helped me teach myself. Much of the time, she was learning right along with me, whether that meant she was re-learning old material, or it was just plain new to her.

As a mother, she had a great deal of power, sure. But she also sacrificed a great deal of that power in order to let me express myself. I nearly always had the opportunity to redo my work; the emphasis was on learning, not grades. I didn’t even know what a report card was until a friend showed me his.

I hope I’m not painting a fairy-tale version of my early education. It certainly had its downsides, but I mention some of its strengths here to show I think it worked because of its collaborative aspects. I can identify with Grimm’s point when she mentions Foucault, because I feel that power from my new professors more strongly because of the lack of a personal relationship.

For example, when a professor introduces themselves as Doctor Last-Name, I know right away that they are probably not interested in being my peer. When a professor introduces themselves by their first name, I feel more comfortable because I get the impression that they might be more inclined to view the relationship as more collaborative. (just imagine a consultant doing that: “Hello, I’m MSU Writing Center Consultant Jones!” *shudder*).

So in the end, I think, the more collaboration, the better. I think my experience has helped to appreciate even more how the WC portrays itself as a community—as peers involved in a collaborative effort.