gateway engineering education coalition learning students’ names some tips and tricks…

Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

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


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


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.


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?


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


Name Tags or Tents

Name tags

Name tents

Variations

Students or Instructor keep

Personalized license plate

A sentence to remember


Office Visits

Arrange office visits early in the term

Keep track of who visits and why

Connect concerns/problems with individuals


Information Cards

Information cards

Photos/ID copies

Background information

Expectations of the class

Information about likes and dislikes


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


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


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


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


Subgroups

Especially useful for large classes

Students normally sit in the same locations

Visualize…and possibly even photograph… the groups they sit in


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


Miscellaneous

Mnemonics

Connect to someone you know

Draw each student’s features

Self-introductions with descriptions


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 learning students’ names some tips and tricks…

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