by the anonymous author of “The Raised Hand”

 Question:

I’ve heard it’s advisable for professors to arrive at class early in order to greet students, especially on the first day of the term. However, most of my colleagues arrive at class right on time and immediately begin teaching. I admit that I often arrive exactly on time, too, because it makes me look more “professorial.” Sometimes I feel like a high-school teacher when I’m in my room early. Which is best?

Signed,

Confused Junior Faculty        

by  Barbara Macke, MSLS

It often feels like meeting someone in a bar. Not like a rendezvous with an old friend after work, but a chance encounter—a glance that accidentally catches a glance. You know what this is like. Eyes avert, then reconnect, a little glimmer of possibilities. You wonder—should we even be having this conversation? Will it be worth it? Should I slide down a couple of seats and say hello?

This is how the first day of college teaching feels to me. I look out at twenty plus pair of eyes, and I begin to think—will the entire quarter be like a giant, one-night stand? Will we ever really get to know each other? Does it even matter?