Hi Yvette,
Use name tents for the students the first day. Have them put their first names or the name they prefer to be called by in large letters on the tent. I use 5X7 cards folded in half. I have about a dozen felt markers of every color available for the students to use. The result is their names in color on the name tent. They have some fun with choosing the color and the style of writing they are going to use.
Do an ice breaker where each student introduces him/herself and give their background plus some interesting fact, like their hobby, they have kids, travel, etc.. Make note of that fact and connect it to their name so when you think of the fact you can easily recall the name.
After each person has completed his/her introduction thank them by saying "Thank you (Bob) (Lynette) for that introduction.
By doing so you have cued yourself three ways. One by seeing the colorful name on the tent, hearing the name and interesting information and three using their name with the thank you.
You should be in good shape with these methods. I average class of 80 students so I depend heavily on these cues to help me remember their names.
Gary
Any suggestions for 20 students?
Hi Jennifer,
I would have them make name tents and put them in front of them on their desks. With 12 students you can quickly go around the class and have them relate some experience they had during the past week as it relates to the class. Connect the names with the experiences and tie that back to the details you jotted down on the cards from the previous week. This way you are reinforcing your memory and connecting their names with their experiences. Also, think about the fact that you can remember a handful of their names, maybe 5-6 so you only have 6-7 names to get this class session. May it like a game so the students will enjoy the name game as the class starts.
Gary
