Lesson 8: Roles and Responsibilities

As you get ready to embark on your WriteAtHome journey, you should understand the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the process.

Student: 

To get the most out of your WriteAtHome/Wasko Lit experience:

1. WriteAtHome students should keep up with your work. Take your quizzes and submit your drafts on time every week.

Wasko Lit students should attend class each week, set aside enough time to complete all the reading every week, and complete both the quiz and the discussion question before class time each week. 

2. If  something happens and you can't submit your work on time, be sure to communicate that to your coach using the WriteAtHome/Canvas Inbox. We can be flexible, but communication with your coach is important.

3. Take ownership of your papers. Don't just do what your coach tells you—look for every way you can think of to improve your papers draft by draft. Care about the quality of your writing. By showing interest and initiative you will not only become a better writer, but will also develop key skills of organization and communication necessary for success in college and beyond.

4. Demonstrate personal integrity in every assignment. See Lesson Seven: Plagiarism.

5. Be polite and thoughtful. Avoid language, subject matter, and humor that others might find offensive. 

Parent:

We are honored to come alongside parents to help students grow in their writing skills. We ask that you help in the following ways:

1. Be sure you have your own Parent/Observer account linked to your student/s. This will enable you to view multiple students' work from one place and communicate privately with your writing coach. If you don't have a Parent/Observer account with Canvas, click here and follow the instructions for creating one. 

2. At the start of each course, communicate with the coach any details that will help them better understand your student. Coaches appreciate any information that helps them be able to connect with students.

3. Keep students accountable for turning in assignments on time and for communicating with the writing coach when circumstances might result in late papers.

4. At least periodically read the comments provided by coaches and check on the assessment scores provided on final drafts.

5. Communicate with your writing coach about needs and concerns if and when they arise. Communication can be done via the Inbox feature in Canvas. Using your Parent/Observer account for messaging keeps the conversation private. 

6. If you have a concern about your writing coach's comments or approach, please reach out to the writing coach first. In the rare case that the coach is unable to address your concerns, feel free to contact WriteAtHome Administration. 

Writing Coach:

Our writing coaches are meticulously vetted for professionalism, educational background, and personality. They will be warm and encouraging, while also providing constructive tips. They are available to answer questions via the Canvas messaging system, but please only use the Inbox for important course-related communication. Coaches are not compensated extra for communicating with students and parents.

Also, please be patient when contacting a coach. Some writing coaches are unable to check their inbox daily.  

For students who have fallen behind, writing coaches agree to be available to mark papers two weeks beyond the final due date for a course, but anything submitted beyond that date may or may not get marked. If you have an extenuating circumstance, however, please communicate with your coach about a longer extension if necessary. We can't promise to extend the class beyond two weeks, but it's possible in some cases. 

WriteAtHome Administration:

We will be checking periodically to make sure that writing coaches are providing clear and consistent feedback and that students are staying caught up on assignments. We are here to oversee the operations but are always happy to help in any way we can.