183 students and knowing their names !!
I am a kennel manager and instructor at our Vet Tech Institute. I am in charge of scheduling student rotations, maintaining order, and over seeing our kennel facility for husbandry (taking care of the animals in house)as well as teaching coarses.
I have 183 students at the moment. I only teach or have taught 60 of them and know these students
The problem that I run into is that the students I do not teach, I do not know their names/faces. I know 'about them' or have come to know them by exceptional or bad performance. How can I get to get to know them or even their names if I do not have direct contact with them everyday?
Hi Jim,
No, we use a different database. I can certainly see how this is an effective tool to help with knowing student names. I've known of an instructor to take pictures of their students to help memorize their names.
Patricia
Do you have a database like CampusVue(R) that stores student's info as well as a student photo? That may help.
Hi Bob,
It is important that we know them ALL. You made a good point here.
Patricia
I think the seating chart works well as you can look at the names at any time and have a far easier time remembering them. But 100 plus would be hard for anybody to remember unless you were their instrucor for a long period of time.We always semmto remember the really good ones as well as the bad but forget the ones in between.
Hi Priscilla,
Repetitiveness is an extremely effective way to remember things.
Patricia
i like that, someone told me that they have the students make a tri-fold and write their names on that. also have them introduce themselves....or have them tell an animal or hobby that you can link with there name....or anytime they discuss something have them tell there name before they speak and when they or done.....having things repeated helps with memory as well.
I thought someone had responded to this question which I thought was a great idea and I plan to try it; making a student seating chart. This may not happen by the second class but when completed, would be invaluable.
I have my students on first day, fill out a card w/ individual information on it as well as where they are sitting, from that I make up a seating chart. There will be changes when you discover that Sue changed places w/ John, but that’s easy enough to explain to the offended student.
Hi Krista,
Apologize and let them know that you are doing your best to memorize names; and move forward.
Patricia
Hi William,
Great points! Name tags work well too.
Patricia
I am in a similar situation to Kari. I have approximately 140 students that I have in class. Some of them seem to "blend in" and some look a lot like another student. I have tried to get all their names, but unfortunately, I sometimes call them by the wrong name. How can I make the student feel valued if I call them by the wrong name sometimes?
Kari,
The fact that you are committed to learning their names and develop a relationship even if it is only through occassional contact is great. I'm not always great with names but better with faces. There is no substitute for the direct approach. Don't be afraid to ask them to remind you of their names. It shows that you are interested in getting to know them. You can also ask them where they are from to develop an association with their name and face. Good Luck!!!
Hi Kari,
You should make it a point to make arrangements at some point to meet the students face-to-face and periodically have the students check in.
Patricia
