Best Way To Spend A School Day

So as a Dean of Students, one can imagine that a portion of my job involves holding students accountable and discipline. However, that is a part of the job, but it's not the whole job. A large portion of my job is supporting and getting to know my students. So that's what I've doing. 

We are about halfway through the fall term and I have spending my days the best way I know how, chatting with students. These thirty minute conversations allow my student and I to get to know each other. I ask them about anything from their favorite types of music and tv shows to how a friend or sibling would describe them to me to what's in their high school bucket list to how can I best support them as their Dean this year. I always get slightly amused when they struggle with a question and say it's hard to which I reply "this can't be any harder than Calc BC or US History. Giggles aside, what may make the questions harder than their academic questions is that the answers must come from within and not from a book, teacher, or internet search. The conversation is not meant to be made of quick fire responses, but actually allows for them to not only answer the question, but they also end up sharing stories too. Some stories may be funny and some give me a glimpse into a hurdle or challenge they've endured.

After having them answer all my questions, it's only fair to give them an opportunity to ask me a question (or two) and the only criteria is that it be appropriate (that's a given) and not about my job as a Dean. Hands done the most posed question was what do I do for fun when I'm not being a dean.

With 187 juniors in my class this year, it is no easy task to carve out 30 minutes to meet, but you make time for what's important. I can't think of a better way to spend the first half of my term than getting to know the students I'll be supporting over the next two years. And on top of just talking, we laughed and understood them just a little be better than I did before. Priceless. We are all more than the information in a file, a score on a test, the story being told through the grapevine.