Learning Students’ Names

1. Learning Students’ Names Some tips and tricks… Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

2. Why it matters • Having to learn the names of new students each term can make instructors anxious • But…many believe that knowing student names improves the classroom climate • Relaxes the atmosphere • Demonstrates interest Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

3. Why it matters • Two things that get students most involved in their undergraduate education are: • Faculty-student interaction • Student-student interaction • Learning student names is an effective means of improving both of these interactions Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

4. Why it matters • Learning names reduces the “distance” between instructor and student. • Engaging students, by name, in personal conversation helps to make the subject matter more accessible. • Addressing students by name indirectly fosters student – student interaction. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

5. That doesn’t mean it’s easy… • Are you “name-learning challenged?” • Trouble remembering students’ names outside of class? • Or…more trouble remembering a name in a sea of faces? Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

6. Not to worry…help is on the way • Techniques that may help include: • Name tags or tents • Office visits • Information cards • Name games • Subgroups • Student interviews • Location/seating chart • Pre-class review Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

7. Name Tags or Tents • Name tags • Name tents • Variations • Students or Instructor keep • Personalized license plate • A sentence to remember Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

8. Office Visits • Arrange office visits early in the term • Keep track of who visits and why • Connect concerns/problems with individuals Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

9. Information Cards • Information cards • Photos/ID copies • Background information • Expectations of the class • Information about likes and dislikes Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

10. Student Interviews • Pair up and interview each other • Unique traits • Unusual hobbies, accomplishments • Group and ask for things in common • Leave the room and have them self-organize Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

11. Name Games • Have each student introduce themselves • Each student who follows must also give the names of the students who have already introduced themselves • End with instructor • Variations – provide some characteristic information during introduction Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

12. Seating Chart • Have your students sit in the same spot, at least for a while, and make a seating chart. • Get used to faces in the same location • Spatially organize Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

13. Pre- and Post-Class Review • Study the roster prior to class. • Learn to recognize names first • Review the roster immediately after class • Repeat as needed for the first few classes Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

14. Subgroups • Especially useful for large classes • Students normally sit in the same locations • Visualize…and possibly even photograph… the groups they sit in Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

15. A Week Long Approach • Monday – familiarize yourself with roster • Tuesday – take note of students’ habits • Wednesday – student introductions • Thursday – reinforce after class • Friday – seating chart review Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

16. Miscellaneous • Mnemonics • Connect to someone you know • Draw each student’s features • Self-introductions with descriptions Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

17. References • www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/studentnames.html • www.indiana.edu/~teaching/names.html • www.ku.edu/~cte/resources/teachingtips/learningnames.html • www.glencoe.com/ps/teachingtoday/weeklytips.phtml/10 • www.unl.edu/gradstud/GSAP/names.html • www.smcoe.k12.ca.us/ssfusd/as/faculty/RemNames.html Gateway Engineering Education Coalition