One on one exchanges with students.
Most students crave 1 on 1 attention from an instructor. It can be difficult depending on the size of the class, but on occasion, you can convince a student you didn't know had problems and was thinking of dropping out to not drop out. Just talking about it with their instructor is enough to give them renewed hope and confidence that they made the right decision. It also makes them feel like they matter as opposed to being a faceless number. That all being said, is there a better way to remember names than some of the ways listed in the previous chapter. I sometimes struggle with this as out classes are only 3 weeks long. I sometimes find that I don't get their names memorized until the end of the second week.
Hi Jennifer,
This is so important for both you and your students. President Johnson has a sign hanging in the Oval Office that said "When you are talking you are not learning". This is the point you made in your forum. We have to listen and learn from our students so we can target their learning needs and keep them engaged.
Gary
I have a hard time with names in and out of class! But I agree, I think the students appreciate that one on one attention. I try to speak with the students specifically about something they've revealed. This could be through a meet and greet online, or a short written assignment. I try to pick out at least two things to ask them about further.
Everyone likes to talk about themselves! Keep asking questions, wait for answers, and you'll be surprised how much attention you can pay!
I used to have a hard time learning students' names, also. I try and associate their name or their appearance with someone I have known in the past.
My favorite part of teaching is 1 on 1 with the students, and I try and ask each student if everything outside of school is okay, at least every other day. This seems to give them a sense of ease, so that when there is an issue that could affect their retention, they are more likely to bring it up to me.
Hi Jon,
Besides the ones listed in the course another effective method I have used it to take the students' pictures with a digital camera the first day. This only takes a few minutes and I do this at the being of the class while everyone is getting settled in. I then print out the pictures in rows with the students' names and important fact about them underneath each picture. I get the important fact as each student introduces him/herself. I now have a picture/name/fact going for me as I review the class. I slip the printed sheet inside of a plastic sleeve and put it in the front of my class folder/notebook. I review these pictures whenever I have a few spare minutes. When the class meets the next time (next day) I will have about 70% of the class memorized and by the third day I will have them all. The key is as with any learning to have a number of memory cues going. In this case you have picture, name and associated clue (the important fact-like student is an avid golfer) going for you. The important fact is useful also to start conversations with the students as you develop rapport with them.
This is in addition to using the standard techniques such as repeating the student's names several times and using it in conversation with the student to help you ingrain it in your mind.
Gary
