As I wrote last week, for the next seven weeks I am taking a topic from the VSU Fall convocation and writing about it on my blog. This week my topic is “Get to know students.”  Most teachers at any level would agree how important it is to get to know students, but this week I’ve been keeping this in the front of my  mind (rather than the back of my mind or on the side of my mind or under my mind or above my mind).

For me I always have a lot on my mind the first week of class–having my syllabi & rubrics complete, knowing where my classrooms are, preparing course materials, being responsive to registration and other student concerns, getting the feel for my new schedule. In addition, many of the organizations and committees I am a part of start up this first week of class–the AAUW, the College of Education & Human Services Executive Committee, and the Scholarship & Honors Committee.

Many of my social media friends share in the excitement of the first week of school, and it helps to cast this as excitement rather than anxiety.  My mantra #10 is “I will not let fear, doubt, negativity and dread distract, deter or stop me. I’ve prepared and practiced and I believe in what I do. Fear, negativity, doubt and dread will not stop me.”

But, back to the topic.  Remembering to “Get to know students” has kept me mindful when I’ve passed people at VSU who look a little lost. I’ve given directions a few times this week, and as I was busily doing my beginning of the year stuff-I thought about the story of the Good Samaritan, and those important people who were just too busy to stop. Sometimes that is me–being too busy to stop. Being too busy to get to know the students.

In “Getting to know the students” in class last night we discussed the syllabus and course requirements, and I also answered questions.  At the beginning of the class our new Interim Department Head who is also the  Associate Dean came in to meet the students (to get to know the students). In the class the students did have enough time to decide on their work groups and topics.  These are  accomplishments. I did have another activity and pre-tests that  I wanted to do last night,  but we can do these next week or in future weeks.  There is time.

So my lesson for this week–there are always tasks to do, teaching and learning are filled with preparation, and we have to spend a lot of time in the weeds–making sure things are done correctly and objectives are covered.  And, this is important, critical-but over the years I’ve learned to do these things faster, and to reduce my time spent with negativity, doubt, dread and fear.  These do take up a lot of time when I engage in them individually or in collectives.  I am learning to laugh at the many mistakes I make when I am down in the weeds trying to get things done, and look for and make time for and cherish these educational relationships.

Diane C. Holliman PhD, LCSW, MPH

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