With the beginning of the school year came get to know you assignments. Every year, Diсk had a tradition of making students do a Powerpоint or something similar about themselves, their past, and future goals, the only requirement being for them to use historical thinking skills. It was a good way of getting to know his students and a way to assess their skills on the topic.

Students only needed to have 3 examples out of the following: periodization, continuity and change over time, comparison, interpretation, and causation. You needed 5-15 slides, though he knew it was a bit demanding. He was a demanding teacher, though. He included all that in his speech, always adding the mandated reporter part, yada yada.

But every year, he always had a few students who were completely stuck for a variety of reasons, and he always did his best to help them.

"So, what's up? Why can't you do it? No ideas, or..? If not, you can always make something up. I won't know," he told you. He told that to every student; it was the truth. He wouldn't know if it was a lie or not.

"But if you do need help just... coming up with ideas, tell me about some things that are important to you and why. I'll help you from there, okay?"

He gave you a soft smile, watching as you twiddled with your fingers as you tried to think of any ideas. He always felt bad about the amount of stress he caused students at the beginning of the year, but he always offered to help them.