Human Factor
Learning a Student name I think can creat a very positive relationship with the Student. Two methods I have found helpful for me is making a seating chart with there names and whare they are from. where they are from help me recall their name.
Hi Kristine,
You are using a good activity to learn more about your students. This is a safe and comfortable way to help create a connection between you and the students.
Gary
I like the idea of having students name their hero giving more insight into the student's personality.
I am a curious person by nature, and I am genuinely interested in my students. Some students' lives are open books. They will readily share with you the minute details of their lives. Some students are more reticent to share information, and with so many privacy rules and regulations in place, I am afraid of breaking some law by asking too many questions. Having the students reveal information such as personal heroes will allow me to get to know them better without it seeming like I am noisy or prying.
I would be interested in any other strategies.
Thanks!
I agree on this. Knowing their names make them feel that you care and it's important to you.
I use group projects at the first class and it has worked well for me. The students seem to open-up.
Getting some informal group activities going helps create a fun environment, and the students get to know one another. I get each group to come up to the front first couple of days in class, and introduce themselves with the group activity which is focused on them as individuals. I think this also helps me set the stage for peer-to-peer learning for the rest of the class.
Hi Henry,
Thank you for sharing this strategy for learning student names. The use of an additional connection between the students names and their personalities really helps to speed up the name learning process.
Gary
I find a useful way, for me, to remember student names is with "name trees". By placing a folded piece of paper in front of the student with their name printed in large bold letters helps me to connect the name with the face. Next, I have students write on the back of their name tree the person they consider their hero. Everyone has a hero. Selection of the hero gives me insight into the student's value system.
