Learning Students Names
Takes effort and pratice but helps in developing an instructor student relationship.
When I get a new group of students, we play a game where a student says their name and the name of the students who said thier name before.
Once all the students have said their names it is my turn to go. The repetition helps me remember and it is also a good ice breaker.
Hi Joseph,
I like this icebreaker. This is a great way to help memorize names. You can learn the students names, and the students can learn each others names.
Patricia
I was observing a class in which the instructor also used this game. She called it the "Name Game". The students really seemed to enjoy it and it worked very well, by the end of the class we all knew each other's name. I also found that I remembered those students by name long after the class was over.
Hi Trevor,
Learning students names is vital. Students feel a sense of importance when instructors know them by name. Using name tents for the first couple of weeks has proven to be effective with name memory.
Patricia
A few of my classes are larger this quarter than in the past. The idea of name tents is one I will try. Sometimes the simplest idea is one I seem to forget. Thanks!
I have found that in some of my larger classes, it takes me a little longer to learn all of the student names. I will share this with all of you. The students do not like it if their name is not known by the instructor in a reasonable amount of time. They feel left out. I always make it my responsibility to make this happen asap.
Hi Patricia,
Long ago I found that there are many inexpensive books by well-established memory experts that show simple techniques e.g. , linking a name to a facial feature, that have worked for me for many years. I've remembered as many as 35 names in five minutes. The students are wowed by this and some even mention it years later when I happen to meet them. It really does impress them that you care.
