The morning started bright and early with two meetings with prospective students.  Meeting with new students and parents definitely draws me into a performance mentality.  I know that the parents especially are checking to see if their child will be guided in the right direction, and that they’ll be supported in their first journey outside the nest.  I try to be engaging and informative, while at the same time, try to be myself.  Sort of like when I’m playing music.

Of course this relates to the “teaching as performance” post below, but first impressions are different than day-to-day classroom situations.  In many ways, a student’s four-year career can be determined with a snap decision about whether a particular professor will be suitable.  Hopefully, the student has done enough research to know if the program is a good fit, but a lot of that student’s future success is dependent on subconscious reactions based on the student/mentor dynamic.  Sometimes you just know if the teacher is right for you.

Hopefully these students choose OU for school.  I enjoyed speaking with both of them, and I hope I contributed to a positive impression about the school.

On another note, I had a rehearsal with the Warren Symphony Orchestra for our performance tomorrow.  I also got to see the DSO perform tonight.  Nice orchestra.  Hope they stick around.