I love the concept mentioned about learning students' names. I pride myself in learning and remembering all of my students' names. I tell the the first day of class that I will learn all of their names by the second week of class and I stick to it. For those names that are difficult to pronounce or faces that are difficult to remember, it almost becomes a game between us to see hoe long it will take me before I actually get it right. Usually the students are impressed at how quickly I learn the names; and it makes me seem more real and human when I can't remember a couple.