Get Your Students Hired
I've found that making a game of learning everyone's (and each others) names in the first couple classes helps everyone feel more connected and personally involved.
It is very important to me to know the students first name by the end of the class. Sometimes during the first class lecture I will stop and go around the room doing my "name check". This is an "icebreaker" in the middle of class when going over policies/ procedures/ rules/ regulations.
Also, I prefer my students call me by first name, since we are all adults. But I also find some students feel it's disrespectful. In those cases I suggest they attach a "Ms." to Kristi. This seems to work very well.
I make it a point to know my students names by the second class session. I find, even though it can be difficult, is shows students that I am putting in effort to get to know and understand something about them. However, I need a better way for them to get to know their peers' names. I have tried ice breaking exercises, projects, listening exercises but at the end of every semester there are always a few students, generally the shy quiet students, who have yet to made an impact with their fellow students. I work in a cohort environment and so building relationships with classmates, with whom the students will be spending the duration of their program with, is an important part of the educational experience. My question is, should I feel responsible for students getting to know each other?
I think it totally depends on what type of class you are teaching as well as your manner of teaching. I teach Equine Dentistry and I want my students to call me by my first name. To me, it lets them know we are all on the same level. I am no better than they are simply because I am an instructor. I was once in the seat they are sitting in now and the informality of the names makes for a more relaxed learning environment.
Hi Joannie!
You couldn't be more correct. Everyone likes to be called by name. I t makes people feel important, like they belong to the group and respected. I always make a special effort to call my students by name by the end of our first class together.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I agree. Students feel that you, as the instructor, are more connected to the class when you can call them by name. It is really impressive when you remember something about them when they introduced themselves during that first class.
Greeting Amy!
Good job! I totally agree - an icebreaker of this nature can establish a positive tone for the duration of the course.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I've also found that icebreakers (related to learning names) are a relaxing, fun, and stress free way to get the class started. It gives the students a chance to feel at ease in learning their classmates names. It establishes trust, respect, and commraderie.
I would much rather call my students by their last name. If you allow instructors to address their students by their first name, the student will feel he can do the same addressing you. I also would rather just call the last name. Saying"mister or miss" before each last name is also a waste of time and keeps everything neutral.
I agree - several instructors here use Mr and Ms and the students last name - This keeps things very professional.
I agree and like the balance you communicated in your answers: it makes students more comfortable but at the same time - this does not mean we are now friends.
Bob,
I agree calling a student by name shows respect and allows you to connect with the student. It shows you care....and for many students that is important that they we as the instructor show we care about them. It also allows us to help when they encounter rocks in the road
Hi Bob! Thanks for your comments! As one who, quite honestly, must work hard at remembering names, your points are well taken. Using students' names certainly heightens the connectivity in the learning environment and demonstrates to students that the instructor values them as individuals.
On the other side of the coin, let me address this question to all of our participants.
Many instructors have students, as a matter of respect, call them by their last names (some schools even require it by policy); other faculty allow students to call them by their first names attesting to the fact that it creates a more comfortable class or lab.
What do our course participants think?
Our culture seems to regard the use of last names with the appropiate prefix as display of respect. Be it, age, position, title, education, familiarity or whatever. However, even with great variances in these ares between people, eventually, a comfort level of communcation may exist whereby first name use becomes the comfortable norm. I have found that the sooner I learn & use student's first & last names, the greater the probability of estabishing a well-rounded zone of comfortable communication. After all, we all call our friends by there first names don't we. Not that I am attempting to becomes friends, I am however, workinging to elevate the comfort zone in my class environment. And, as the comfort zone increases, so does participation which can assist in identifying those in need.
Learning the name of students is a benefit to instructor because it allows the instructor to connect with the student. You can speak to a student when you see them around campus and it can make the instructor more approachable to the student.
This also show that you have taken the time to learn each students name. This increases the personal connection between student and instructor.
i agree this also helps the class to become more at ease with eachother and are more willing to open up and become a part of the discussions