Now you see it, now you don't

I've been a dean for a total of three months. In that time, I have had my, "let me help you change" days and my "get off my planet" days. I've found that being somewhat unpredictable can be useful because students are less inclined to test you if they are concerned you might do something insane. I guess the same rationale motivates a lot of people.

For the past few days, I've submitted paperwork on students only to find that the students weren't punished. I mean, they were ALMOST punished -- parents were called and some came up. Those who didn't come up didn't miss anything as their children were let back in the building with a slap on the wrist. In one case, a student was actually suspended....and then the suspension was taken back. What'd'ya know?

In all cases, I had been in my "heavier" moods on the theory that these were repeat offenders who needed to be taught a lesson. I guess the lesson was really being taught to me.

Perhaps what has to happen in a school is for everyone to feel as if they cannot tell what will happen no matter what they do. In the case of those of us writing up students, we might consider how we might best meet the needs of the student in the IMMEDIATE action. Will the act of writing the student up, calling a parent, etc. be enough -- will it make a difference in the student's life. We can't expect anything else will happen because that's not in our control. So, we have to best utilize what is in our control.

As a teacher, I rarely called for help from others and I mostly relied on the interaction between the students and me in the moment to maintain order. Even when I called parents, I placed little expectation on the result. There were some terrific parents. No parent, no matter how great, can be there at the moment the student decides to throw an orange across a room or pull a knife on someone. At that moment, the student is his/her own judge and jury.

What I've learned in my three months as a dean, therefore, is that my most important decisions will also come in the moment. What is done after will have limited effect and I have no control over what it will be. It could be that the student will be reprimanded by a parent or suspended for 90 days. There's no way of knowing. The only one I can depend upon is me.

And that's a lesson I learned as a teacher long, long ago.