Introductions

Beginnings are so important. I sit here, at the beginning of a new school year trying to decide who to introduce to my students. I mean, I am not a one dimensional being. This is such a change from my previous career. In policing there are very few circumstances where you want people to know a lot about you. In many cases as a detective, the things you share may not even be true, you may develop personas to develop rapport with suspects quickly so that they will confess to things thinking you are sympathetic.

The art of the relationship requires honesty, I am no longer worried that someone will learn too much about me and show up at my home. Now, it seems the question is what part of your personality do you prioritize. I mean, in a super quick brainstorm of who I am, there is teacher, retired police chief, US Army veteran, biker, student, father, stepfather, husband, son. The list goes on and on.

Now the question is, which foot do I put forward, which one helps build the most trust and deepest relationships. The reality is it is going to be different with each student and every staff member. Why? Because they aren’t one dimensional people either.

I guess that brings us to the point, be you, all of you and let your relationships determine which face you put forward with each person. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t about being fake. This is about relating with different people differently. For instance, with the 4-6 staff members who ride, we talk bikes a lot. With the half a dozen veterans, we talk about military experiences and their correlates (or lack thereof) in the civilian world. It isn’t being fake, its leading with points of commonality. It works with staff, it will work with students too.