Why Names Matter
It’s always a pleasure to hear about students’ best learning experiences at FSU, and we are fortunate to have many opportunities to hear from students, through our Thank-a-Professor Program, student panels, focus groups, and everyday conversations. As we start a new semester, we’re reminded of one undergraduate’s story about how much she appreciated an instructor who made a point of learning the names of all fifty students in her class. We asked her to elaborate a bit so that we could share what struck her:
[The instructor] told us it was her mission to learn our names in class, and each time she would call on us to answer questions or facilitate discussions, she would take a few seconds to repeat our names and commit them to memory. Small gestures such as this are very meaningful to students, especially in the context of a large university such as Florida State. Something as small as learning students’ names showed us that our instructor not only respected us but also respected the class and the culture of learning itself. Her efforts drew students into the class and encouraged us to be active participants in the form of lively debates and individual assessment and synthesis of the course content. She respected her class and wanted to create some small personal connection with each of us, even though we were a lecture class of fifty students. Her course was challenging, but because she set a precedent of communication and respect from the very first day, she created a sense of ease and comfort in the classroom that allowed her students to thrive in ways that could not be measured only by test scores.
Over the years we’ve heard many similar tributes from students who felt validated and inspired when their instructors knew their names. Our names are part of our identities, so calling students by their names helps to acknowledge and connect with them on a human level. As the student we cited above explained, learning students’ names can increase their motivation and participation in the class. They feel both encouraged and more accountable when they are not anonymous. Most of us have a hard time learning names, though, and we may avoid using them if we’re worried we might draw a blank or mispronounce someone’s name. Here are some strategies that can help:
Remembering Names
CMU’s Eberly Center has some great suggestions for remembering students’ names. You can quiz yourself using the photos on your roster in my.fsu.edu, make a seating chart, or ask students to introduce themselves in a memorable way in class. In very large classes, where you may have no hope of remembering all of your students’ names, you can ask them to share their names when they ask or answer questions, or you might try asking them to keep name tents on their desks.
Using Them Frequently
Calling students by name is good exercise for your memory. If it’s feasible for your class size, you can practice by taking attendance out loud the first few class sessions. Remembering students’ names makes it easier to get their attention during classroom activities, when they’re talking with one another and hopefully using each other’s names, too. (We can help them learn one another’s names by making quick introductions the first step of any in-class activity.) Using their names when you refer to points students make in class, or their work on assignments, shows that you’re taking their ideas seriously.
Pronouncing Them Correctly
Sometimes we have difficulty pronouncing names from cultures or languages other than our own, but showing care for the way a student’s name is pronounced is a way of honoring their identity. Some students may also prefer a shortened form of their name, or a nickname, or a middle name, or a name not reflected by the roster, so it’s a great idea to ask what they’d like to be called. You might ask students to write their names and pronunciations on a notecard. If you invite students to introduce themselves, either in class or on Canvas in a video, you will hear them pronounce their own names, and then you can practice pronouncing them the same way. Since students are often uncomfortable correcting their professors, you can invite corrections, to emphasize that you are invested in getting it right. There are a number of online tools you might try, like nameshouts, hearmyname, or pronouncenames.com.
If you have a great strategy for remembering students’ names or pronouncing them correctly, please share it with us at pro-teaching@fsu.edu.