Students in the Learning Services Program are all enrolled in the same section of the freshman College Writing course. Mike Lautenschlager, a former Composition Instructor and Writing Coach at Virginia Tech, has extensive experience in freshman-level college writing. Mike has weekly individual meetings with LSP students to help them along every stage of the writing process. Initial brainstorming, formulation of thesis, outlining, topic sentences, transitions, grammar, and final fine-tuning are topics that are addressed throughout the semester.  

Though these meetings are designed to accomplish specific assignments for College Writing, Mike is cognizant of the writing that will be expected of students during their tenure at AU. He therefore incorporates various broader strategies so that students are well prepared for future writing-intensive classes.  

Mike, currently an instructor at George Mason University, taught freshman composition while completing his M.A. in English at Virginia Tech. He also has engaged in many semesters of one-on-one writing instruction. As he has much experience on both sides of the writing classroom--as a student and as a teacher--he enjoys incorporating these perspectives in his individual appointments with students. It's the best of both worlds.