Quickly Learning Every Student's Name
I try hard to learn every student's name by the end of day three. I must read over there names 50 times before the end of day one. It's great to send the students off for their first weekend during your class and inspire them by showing you care enough to get to know them before the end of the week.
I do "Roll Call" to learn my studen's names.
learning students names is a great tool for becomong more familar with the student, creating a open atmosphere. each student then feels valued
Hi Molly,
Great strategy for remembering student names. You are using a number of cues to help you "get" the names down. I know this information will be helpful to other instructors that are working on techniques for remembering student names.
Gary
That is so true. The module mentioned taking pictures. For online, I am sure you don't get a chance at any pictures.
For in class though, the pictures thing is key for me. I have a very difficult time remembering names. I always remember faces. One thing that helps me to learn names to faces quickly is to always call the students by their names each time I call on them until I can remember it without hestitation.
Another way is with the pictures. If you don't take them yourself, see if you can get them from the administrators at the school. I will have the class do a small assignment for me in week one and make sure that when I am grading that assignment (generally an email to me) I will look at their picture and their name one after the other a couple times. It is really helpful for me to place names to faces.
I teach online so names are all I have. It is more difficult to remember names when there are no faces.
Names have always been hard for me. In smaller classes I have an easier time it seems. With the larger classes students tend to look the same and move around, its hard to remember names. I look at any homework or tests they turn in to me and say their names while I say thank you, that has seemed to help me a little. But I do believe knowing their names gives them a feeling of respect and shows you care about them.
Loren,
I wish I could get the names by day three. It usually takes me the first week. However the students seem to like messing with me as I kill some of there names. Its all good with me though my name is so often miss spelled or not even close on saying it.
I agree that it is important to learn students' names quickly. It really helps build rapport.
Hi Jim,
Good strategy. Thanks for sharing it. You let students sit where they want but as you say they come back to that seat class after class so you can learn their names based upon their seats. The students do make it easy on us don't they?
Gary
The way I learn the students names is by making a seating chart. (no not by telling students need to sit in order) On the first day of class I send out a signup sheet for attendance. I send it up one row and down the other in seating order. When the list comes back to me I write the names in my seating chart in the order they signed the attendance sheet.After I have this chart it rarely changes because we are all creatures of habit.
Hi Loren,
This is a great way to start the rapport development process. You are starting to connect with them through their names. It builds from there.
Gary
