Job Discussion Forums

[rogerwilco]

One of my "disadvantages" is that it is very difficult for me to remember names. The students in one of my classes today let me know that they are a little disappointed that I cannot remember the English names of most of them.

What about you ? Similar problem, or can you remember most of their names ?

[johntpartee]

Approximately 300 students that I see once a week? A few standouts (good or bad standouts), but, no, not most of them. I have them sit in the same seats for every class and that makes it easier during the class (with a seating chart), but......

[doogsville]

Nope, I've been teaching some of my students for more than a year and I can't remember all of their names. I have about 200 students this semester, 150 of whom I have never taught before. Those that show interest are easier to remember, those that really get on my nerves are easier to remember, those in the middle, no, I don't have any kind of hook to hold on to. Ask then what you taught them the very first lesson that you met them. What vocabulary, what syntax, if they can remember that then they may have a point, but if not, why should you be able to remember their English names.

[rogerwilco]

I have less of an excuse.
I have about 100 students that I see three times a week.
In the past I always had about 300 students, so I did not think about
using assigned seats to remember their names at the beginning of this quarter.

[Timer]

After a few weeks with them I can usually remember most of their names (hundreds of students like everyone else). I call the roll each class and I ask students questions directly by picking random names from the list. Usually helps me remember fairly quickly.

[Non Sequitur]

[Bud Powell]

One problem is that they'll change their names.

In small classes, those students whose names I cannot remember, I assign them a name that i can remember.

I named one guy "Admiral" because he looked like he should be in uniform, but he seemed to be suffering from a self-esteem problem. For weeks, he thought that i had named him "Animal". After I explained what an Admiral was, he began acting a lot less depressed, and he worked harder.

Another kid looked like a doctor to me. He was very clean cut, and he had a propensity for wearing what looked like white lab coats. I was told at the end of the semester that everyone's English name stuck to the point that they rarely used their Chinese names among themselves, even when they spoke Chinese.

In this same group, there was a kid that I addressed as "Bond, James Bond" in a pseudo British accent. It was a hit.

But that was in a school that had smaller classes. In uni classes of 35+ students in six different classes, I struggled to remember names. I told them that the best way to help me remember their names is to do something to make me remember their names. Some actually did so.

One girl-- I'll never forget this--- was upset that I couldn't remember her name. She was very good at picking up English expressions and idioms. One day, she raised her hand and asked me if I remembered her name. I took a guess, and I was wrong.

She yelled in mock frustration,"You're making me crazy! My name is Nancy!" From then on, she was Crazy Nancy.

I have problems in the States when I must teach five classes of 30 students or more. It's too difficult. I taught in an American one-year inner-city business college once. Behavior was really bad. As soon as they figured out that I had a seating chart, they'd move. I'd ask them to sit in one place, but most refused. Many of these kids had some sort of police record or substance abuse problems or emotional problems. It was sad. The only kids whose names I could remember were the worst ones, some of whom I suspected were carrying a gun.

[Non Sequitur]

Great stories Bud.
'Make my day m***a f***a. Forget my name'.

[kev7161]

I only have 22 students whom I see every day, so yeah, I got their names down!

[Bud Powell]

[roadwalker]

If you want to try to remember their names, bring a video camera and have each student record their name, English name, hometown and hobby, or something similar. Try for ten seconds or so per video. Before your classes you can review the recordings. I often do the first step but get lazy about reviewing the recordings. But it does help when I think to do it.

This also ends up helping me when I have oral final exams and can't decipher my notes. I can play the video to refresh who was who and can usually remember what I was trying to write grade-wise with that student, especially if it was a recent exam.

[Kysorb]

I take a picture of all of my students for this very purpose, and I practice at home during the first week, by week 2 I know 85% and by week 3 100%. With children/teens its very important to know their names because "Hey you....you.... yea you, stop" doesn't work when trying to discipline or get the attention of a 7 year old.

[Kysorb]

I take a picture of all of my students for this very purpose, and I practice at home during the first week, by week 2 I know 85% and by week 3 100%. With children/teens its very important to know their names because "Hey you....you.... yea you, stop" doesn't work when trying to discipline or get the attention of a 7 year old.

[Kysorb]

I take a picture of all of my students for this very purpose, and I practice at home during the first week, by week 2 I know 85% and by week 3 100%. With children/teens its very important to know their names because "Hey you....you.... yea you, stop" doesn't work when trying to discipline or get the attention of a 7 year old.

[Mr. Leafy]

I have a terrible time with this, always have, even in small regular classes.

Now I have 8 x 50 who I see once a week. One problem is that it is a high school so the head teachers decide the seating plans and they change every two weeks. It makes it a lot harder for me to learn the names.

Like other people have said, the top students and the difficult ones are easier to remember. I had a few large once-a-week classes as a graduate student and it was the same with my classmates from other streams of the program.