Is It Important to Remember Students’ Names?

Is It Important to Remember Students’ Names?





It’s almost impossible to be an effective teacher without using
students’ names. The personal touch you get from calling someone by
their name is a very effective tool that good teachers use.

Teachers should leave you a seating chart or have nametags on desks.
However, as the year goes on, nametags fall off and seating arrangements
change. So you need some techniques of you own.

Here are some tricks that work:

1. As students file into the room, introduce yourself and ask their
   names. Repeat the name immediately. “Hi Marcus, nice to meet you.”
   
2. When students are doing their work, walk around the room, see the name of the paper, and say, “Nice work Alex.”
   
3. Bring in a package of sticky nametags. Before students arrive, look
   at the attendance sheet and make a nametag for each student. As you take
   attendance, have students come up and take their nametag.
   
4. Keep a little “cheat sheet” at your desk. When you learn a name,
   write it down with a description of the student. Refer back when you
   need to. This is helpful for those students who need extra attention.
   
5. Work out a secret code in your head. For example, Rhonda is very
   helpful. Sing the song to yourself, “Help me Rhonda” and you’ll always
   remember her name.You only need to use a few names to give yourself credibility. When students see that you remember and use names, they see you as a “with it” teacher who is capable and caring.
   

By Barbara

I really loved this picture above as it shows how ridiculous some methods used by teachers to remember their students' names are ! No need to stick a label on your student's forehead to remember his/her name! This just reminds me of a previous teacher of mine at the university who used to oblige us to keep a piece of carton with our name written on it in a vertical position on our desks ! She couldn't remember our names so we would please her by looking like members of parliament with our names on the desks ! pathetic !