Teachers...

SBS0628 · September 2009

Regardless of grade level...

How long does it take you to learn your students' names? (Obviously this will vary if you see them daily or only once/twice a week)

I totally screwed up two of my students' names today, and I've been feeling guilty ALL MORNING. But then I realized, because we only meet twice and week AND we had a Monday holiday, today's really only the fifth day I've ever seen them. And, in my defense, they both wear baseball hats and sit in the back and look quite similar...

I dunno. Just trying to figure out if I'm a crappy professor or if people are willing to commiserate with me!

cruella013 · September 2009

I think it depends on the class size also. My one class this semester has 35 - good luck to all of us!

For me, learning names is very difficult, especially if the students don't speak up in class or meet with me. Then they just kind of all blend together.

For me, worst case I probably don't know ALL their names reliably until the first exam, or 1/3 the way through the semester (meeting with them twice a week). So in my book you are not a bad teacher. This semester I have two classes that only meet once a week - we are are all screwed (especially the ones who don't talk).

hawkilady · September 2009

From a (former) student's prospective: I had plenty of professors who never learned my name at all... I really think that by the time you get to college if you dont know enough to make the prof recognize you - by either speaking up in class or making a point to talk to them, you're really only screwing yourself over - especially in classes that are in your degree program. In my gen-eds I'm pretty sure not a single one of my prof's knew my name except in Spanish. My school was big, but still, I would be forgiving, especially if you tried.

In other words - dont feel bad, if you've only screwed up 2, I'd say you are doing great.

CTbride320 · September 2009

Honestly, it usually takes me within a few minutes of first meeting them. However, I'm used to either names on desks (when I subbed in elementary schools) or have met the kids before school started. I have no idea why they stick in my head - when I meet adults, their names go in one ear and straight out the other, whether they're peers or parents of kids in my class. I can never remember parents' names unless I write them down somewhere, but for some reason, it takes almost no time for me to remember kids' names.

I wouldn't really worry about it though - unless you have your students put up name tents on their desks, I can imagine it would be hard to remember their names. I also type/write my students' names a lot for various lists and things, so that's also helped me to get to know their names, and once I met them it was easier to remember who was who.

britab · September 2009

I learned mine all the first day but I have 20 second graders. Actually I have 3 girls that all look similar and their names start with R, so sometimes it gets confusing.

kaylynne · September 2009

I have five classes, that each have about 30 kids... I make them play cheesy name games for the first two days, so by the third day there are only a few I forget. (I do get totally confused if they sit in different seats) But I have no shame about asking them. I figure, there are several of them that still don't know my name, and they only have seven teachers.

abrainard · September 2009

I can usually learn all of the names in about a week to a week in a half. I have five classes of about 35 students in each and I see them about 3 times a week. I work really hard at learning their names. I make sure to say them every chance I get in the first couple of days.

The following story isn't about names, but it is about something stupid and embarrassing I have done....

I once had a pretty big, ganster girl in my class. I made some comment to her from behind about pulling up her pants (they were sagging like boys wear) and I don't remember exactly, but I sort of phrased it in a way that referred to her as a boy. I felt so dumb afterward, but seriously, she really did look like a boy from behind.

mrscdobs · September 2009

I know all my kids' names by now.

However, one of the teachers I work closely with, and have been for the past almost 3 weeks, asked me what my name was the other day Fail.

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