Observations of a Registrar and Data Manager From Behind the Wall (no Game of Thrones reference intended)
Published
My desk used to be in the reception area of our Office. I didn’t have my own office. I was in the middle of the fray. What’s the fray? The commotion, excitement, distress and everything else caused by almost 400 high school girls, and the occasional middle school girl.
Several years ago, our Office was reconfigured. We added a colleague and now I sit behind a wall. The wall that separates me from where I used to sit in the middle of it. Students sometimes come to see me, but email, online services and social media have eliminated most of their need for facetime. I imagine I’m a little like the Wizard of Oz, with only the occasional need for the curtain to be drawn back.
Some of my observations from behind the wall…
Middle Schoolers (MS), although sometimes shy and nervous, have confidence. When an opening of school scavenger hunt, intended to help familiarize them with campus, brings them to the Head of School’s Office, the overwhelming emotion is excitement.
High Schoolers (HS), on the other hand, may be excited, nervous, shy, distressed, tongue-tied, rambunctious, loud or many of the above. Needing something from the Academic or Head of School’s Office can be scary. Really, we’re not going to bite!
Most MS and HS students lose their tentativeness at the prospect of scoring a home baked cupcake, a bag of chips, a deli sandwich or coffeecake leftover from a meeting.
Surprise, surprise…students are unique! The one who stops by for extra-help for a deadline that’s two weeks out. The one who is late for a test, but is still hanging without any urgency. The one whose parent works at school, who may see that as an advantage or a disadvantage (perspective is everything). The one who’s getting help from my colleague who teaches Chemistry. The one who finds our office a safe space for some quiet time. The ones who drop a hundred handmade paper snowflakes in the Head of School’s Office when there’s a prediction of a flurry the next morning (snow day, please?).
Then there are the commercial deliveries of food, water, flowers, birthday cakes, online shopping sprees, school supplies, and books. Or, the very personal deliveries of sneakers, sweatshirts and instruments left at home by accident.
Then there are the teachers dropping off exams, picking up course registration materials, checking in with the Head of the Upper School, asking questions about special schedules, seeking guidance on how to handle a situation with a student or parent, or picking up forms for an advisee.
What is the fray? It’s a bit of this and a bit of that overheard from behind the wall.
Several years ago, our Office was reconfigured. We added a colleague and now I sit behind a wall. The wall that separates me from where I used to sit in the middle of it. Students sometimes come to see me, but email, online services and social media have eliminated most of their need for facetime. I imagine I’m a little like the Wizard of Oz, with only the occasional need for the curtain to be drawn back.
Some of my observations from behind the wall…
Middle Schoolers (MS), although sometimes shy and nervous, have confidence. When an opening of school scavenger hunt, intended to help familiarize them with campus, brings them to the Head of School’s Office, the overwhelming emotion is excitement.
High Schoolers (HS), on the other hand, may be excited, nervous, shy, distressed, tongue-tied, rambunctious, loud or many of the above. Needing something from the Academic or Head of School’s Office can be scary. Really, we’re not going to bite!
Most MS and HS students lose their tentativeness at the prospect of scoring a home baked cupcake, a bag of chips, a deli sandwich or coffeecake leftover from a meeting.
Surprise, surprise…students are unique! The one who stops by for extra-help for a deadline that’s two weeks out. The one who is late for a test, but is still hanging without any urgency. The one whose parent works at school, who may see that as an advantage or a disadvantage (perspective is everything). The one who’s getting help from my colleague who teaches Chemistry. The one who finds our office a safe space for some quiet time. The ones who drop a hundred handmade paper snowflakes in the Head of School’s Office when there’s a prediction of a flurry the next morning (snow day, please?).
Then there are the commercial deliveries of food, water, flowers, birthday cakes, online shopping sprees, school supplies, and books. Or, the very personal deliveries of sneakers, sweatshirts and instruments left at home by accident.
Then there are the teachers dropping off exams, picking up course registration materials, checking in with the Head of the Upper School, asking questions about special schedules, seeking guidance on how to handle a situation with a student or parent, or picking up forms for an advisee.
What is the fray? It’s a bit of this and a bit of that overheard from behind the wall.
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05/23/2019 1:10pm EDT
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