Study Hall King:
Not long ago, I had an unusual part-time job. I was a ninth-grade study hall supervisor at a local high school. Five days a week, I oversaw 175 students across six class periods. My responsibilities included taking attendance, writing tons of hall passes, and generally maintaining order.
As an artist, I always carry a small sketchpad and pencils in my backpack, so I decided to use some of my time in class to draw each student's name as a gift and to help me remember who was who.
I wasn't sure how they would respond. I wondered if they would appreciate it, think it was dumb, or just not care. When I handed out the first few drawings to students, they were a little unsure.
I began taping the drawings to the classroom wall near the door. By the time I had taped up a dozen drawings, my students began looking for their names, and the requests started pouring in.
To make things easier (and fairer), I created an alphabetical list for each class period. I told my students that I would have every name finished by the end of the semester.
Around mid-October, I began placing a piece of tape on each drawing and, without saying a word, handed it to each student during class. By then, they knew they could stick them to the wall if they wanted.
Some students told me they brought them home and put them in their rooms. Others taped them to their folders or backpacks.
I got a lot of smiles and thank-yous, even from some of the tougher kids. It was clear they enjoyed the gesture, and I discovered the exercise built tremendous trust.
Several students told me my class was a place where they felt they belonged, even though it was just a study hall. I even got a nickname, The Study Hall King.
On January 12th, with only a week left in the semester, I finished drawing everyone's name on my list. Loved those kids.
Enjoy.
