People are endearing 1

From time to time, I write little reflections about people in my life who I find endearing.  Below is one of those reflections.

The one who reminds me of a once upon a time coach

It isn’t his attitude or even his mannerisms that make me think of him as a once upon a time coach.  It is the way he dresses.  Easy to wear comfortable slip on pants, polo shirt with a light jacket over it is his daily wear.  Tennis shoes are his shoes of choice.  I don’t remember ever seeing him in anything else.

He carries his books, papers, and things under his arms like a young school boy.  The only time I see him is when he makes his rounds between classes and professional development events he feels he has time to attend.  He pops into my office for just a second to say hi and touch base.  “Any meetings coming up Jo?” he asks.  I remind him of whatever he has committed to whether it is the book discussion group, faculty development committee, Conversations on Student Learning.  He likes professional development and tells me so on a regular basis.  He tells me about how together I am and how I always keep up on the cutting edge stuff, how great a meeting I run.  He tells me regularly and often enough that it embarrasses me.  He is sincere in his declarations.

I think he admires in me what he wishes he could become more of, more organized, more read, more efficient.  His office is a study of piles.  There are piles of papers, files, and books around the parameter of the room.  There are smaller piles of papers on top of his desk.  Nothing appears organized but he says he knows where things are.  He may but my eyes and my brain asks, “How?”

He talks about the same things in most situations.  He shares how he likes to read book reviews before he decides to purchase and read a book.  He wants a variety of people’s perspectives on a book and to see what the majority of reviewers have to say.  He’d rather not reinvent the wheel in work but find a best practice model to follow or adapt.  As the years of teaching experience build, he becomes softer and gives his students more chances to get their assignments completed.

He is a sweet man and very predictable.