As a counselor, balancing the paperwork, personal student crises, and trying to reach the overall student population, balancing time is challenging and frustrating. If I could have my way, I would never do paperwork and always be around students. Being present with my students is something I love and always make time to do, but I am not always purposeful in the planning of the day. Lopez challenges the reader to not only be intentional about being present, but to organize your schedule so being present becomes a natural part of your schedule.
I always make it a point to greet students as they enter the door and have crucial “check-in” time with my at-risk students. However, after reading this chapter, I gained some new ideas on how to become more present for my students. These strategies include; create a rotating calendar that allows me to focus my attention on a particular grade level, eat lunch in the cafeteria with my students, make class visitations as part of my daily routine, and greet students at the bus or different drop off