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2. Teaching Practices
2.4. Knowing Your Students
Learning Student Names
Students often report how much they appreciate instructors who know their names. Why does this matter so much? Knowing and using students' names helps to establish a comfortable, less formal atmosphere in class and shows an interest in your students as individuals. In large introductory courses, TAs who learn names help to reduce the feelings of anonymity and isolation which many students experience.
Many instructors and TAs report having difficulty learning names and faces, especially in large classes and in courses where you may only see students once a week. This overview describes strategies used by faculty and TAs at the University of Florida and a variety of other institutions.
- Use name tents. You can ask students to write their names in large letters on both sides of a folded 5 x 8 index card and to keep this card on their desks for the first few classes. Particularly in classes where you want to use students' names frequently, name tents can help everyone in the room to become familiar with one another and make it easier for them to address each other directly.
- Annotate your class roster. When you meet the class for the first time, take a few extra seconds for each student to identify his or her most 1-2 striking features - either outstanding physical features or other noticeable traits. Be sure to include ways of pronouncing names which are unfamiliar to you.
- Use a seating chart for the first 2-3 classes. You can ask students to sit in the same place for a few classes to help you learn their names more quickly.
- Use photos. Some instructors take Polaroid pictures of their students individually or in small groups and ask students to write their names on the photos during the first class. If taking pictures is impractical for you, consider asking students to bring a photocopy of their driver's license or student ID photo which you can attach to a seating chart or roster.
- Learn a few names at a time. Some instructors use the time just before and just after class to learn 5-10 names per class. Others invite students to their offices in small groups to learn a little about them in addition to their names. Both of these approaches reinforce that you are interested in the concerns of individual students.
- Ask students to write something about themselves. In addition to information about related course work, you might ask students to tell you something to make them and their names more memorable. Where they are from, what they like to read or do for fun, or their long-term goals can help you distinguish individuals more easily.
- Ask students to introduce each other to the class. Give students 2-3 minutes in pairs to interview each other and discover something that "no one can forget." Go around the room asking students to introduce each other, allowing about 1 minute per pair.
- Use mnemonics. Many name-face mnemonics depend on associating the person's name with a physical feature. Often you can relate the name (or key words with similar sounds) to something more meaningful and concrete with visual images. For example, a tall, thin student named Creighton Rosental can be visualized carrying a large crate of roses on his head.
From Freeland, R. (1998). Collected Wisdom: Strategies & Resources for TAs. Pittsburgh, PA: Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence, Carnegie Mellon
Adapted from the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence at Carnegie Mellon University
