remembering students' names
Dear Tipsters, I know that some of you are very good at learning students' names in a very short time frame. I could sure use some advice in that regard. My memory for names is embarassingly poor. I'm lucky if I remember students' names by the end of the semester, and that's only if it's a very small class or if a particular student does something outrageous or distinctive. I have tried everything I can think of--I take attendance every day, often I pass a camera around in class and get "mug shots," and I try linking a feature with a name (e.g., Carly has curly hair). I really try, I honestly do, and I know it's important to the students (and so it's important to me). I tell them this true story so that they won't be hurt if I forget their names: About 15 years ago as I was drifting off to sleep, my husband, whose name is Larry, said, "Good night Carol." In my twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness, I mumbled, "Good night Lester." I don't even know a Lester, but I knew my husband's name started with an L. Lucky for me, my husband understood because he's known me a very long time (and we've now been married for 32 years). At the time, I was awakened by my own embarassment and I've not made that mistake again (yet), but I'd really like to get better at students' names. Can you all tell me what you do and what seems to work best for you? I've been teaching for about 16 years or so, and so far my own efforts haven't been very successful. Am I just doomed to having a poor memory or is there something that I can do?Thanks, Carol Carol DeVolder, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Chair, Department of Psychology St. Ambrose University Davenport, Iowa 52803 phone: 563-333-6482 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: remembering students' names
I can identify only too well with you Carol--and I teach at a community college so normally teach between 4 and 5! classes. I have finally accepted the stark reality that I need to take pictures of my students to include on the index card with their special interests, course background. And then I review, review, review. It's well worth it as students so appreciate professors who can call on them by name. Yes, it makes day one time-consuming but also unique to students. They assist with the picture taking with digital cameras from our professional growth center--having three cameras going simultaneously. Hope that helps, Joan Joan Warmbold Boggs Associate Professor of Psychology Oakton Community College [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Dear Tipsters, > I know that some of you are very good at learning students' names in a > very short time frame. I could sure use some advice in that regard. My > memory for names is embarassingly poor. I'm lucky if I remember > students' names by the end of the semester, and that's only if it's a > very small class or if a particular student does something outrageous or > distinctive. I have tried everything I can think of--I take attendance > every day, often I pass a camera around in class and get "mug shots," > and I try linking a feature with a name (e.g., Carly has curly hair). I > really try, I honestly do, and I know it's important to the students > (and so it's important to me). I tell them this true story so that they > won't be hurt if I forget their names: About 15 years ago as I was > drifting off to sleep, my husband, whose name is Larry, said, "Good > night Carol." In my twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness, I > mumbled, "Good night Lester." I don't even know a Lester, but I knew my > husband's name started with an L. Lucky for me, my husband understood > because he's known me a very long time (and we've now been married for > 32 years). At the time, I was awakened by my own embarassment and I've > not made that mistake again (yet), but I'd really like to get better at > students' names. Can you all tell me what you do and what seems to work > best for you? I've been teaching for about 16 years or so, and so far my > own efforts haven't been very successful. Am I just doomed to having a > poor memory or is there something that I can do? > Thanks, > Carol > > > > > > Carol DeVolder, Ph.D. > Professor of Psychology > Chair, Department of Psychology > St. Ambrose University > Davenport, Iowa 52803 > > phone: 563-333-6482 > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: remembering students' names
I did the picture-taking (and stapling them on an index card with the student's name) until a student went to the dean and complained that I invaded her privacy and traumatized her by taking her picture. I was dumbfounded. I always preface the picture-taking by saying that if anyone strongly prefers that I not take their picture, I won't. But I've stopped taking the pictures since then. And my remembering is the worse for it. Beth Benoit Granite State College Portsmouth NH --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: remembering students' names
Dear Carol, I do the first day activity where the first student (starting anywhere in the room) introduces himself/herself, then the next person introduces himself/herself and the person that was introduced 1st. The third person introduces the first 2, and adds their name to the list. Etc. etc. I go last, requiring me to remember everyone's name. It breaks the ice, helps everyone learn everyone's name, is good for some laughs, and is a great introduction to memory. Most of my classes are about 40 students, so it takes about 30-35 minutes to do this activity. And then, as Joan mentioned, it requires daily practice on my part. A colleague has students create tent cards with their name in black marker (easily seen from the front of the room) and has them put the card on their desk each day. Some may feel this is cheating, but it's much better than trying to call on a student by pointing and saying "you in the blue shirt", or not calling on anyone at all. Julie Julie A. Penley, Ph.D. Assistant Professor El Paso Community College El Paso, TX 79998-0500 DeVolder Carol L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Dear Tipsters, I know that some of you are very good at learning students' names in a very short time frame. I could sure use some advice in that regard. My memory for names is embarassingly poor. I'm lucky if I remember students' names by the end of the semester, and that's only if it's a very small class or if a particular student does something outrageous or distinctive. I have tried everything I can think of--I take attendance every day, often I pass a camera around in class and get "mug shots," and I try linking a feature with a name (e.g., Carly has curly hair). I really try, I honestly do, and I know it's important to the students (and so it's important to me). I tell them this true story so that they won't be hurt if I forget their names: About 15 years ago as I was drifting off to sleep, my husband, whose name is Larry, said, "Good night Carol." In my twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness, I mumbled, "Good night Lester." I don't even know a Lester, but I knew my husband's name started with an L. Lucky for me, my husband understood because he's known me a very long time (and we've now been married for 32 years). At the time, I was awakened by my own embarassment and I've not made that mistake again (yet), but I'd really like to get better at students' names. Can you all tell me what you do and what seems to work best for you? I've been teaching for about 16 years or so, and so far my own efforts haven't been very successful. Am I just doomed to having a poor memory or is there something that I can do?Thanks, Carol Carol DeVolder, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Chair, Department of Psychology St. Ambrose University Davenport, Iowa 52803 phone: 563-333-6482 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: remembering students' names
Carol- Reading your note brings a note of recognition to me. I too have great difficulty remembering names (well, truth be told I have a slight neurological deficit and have difficulty with proper nouns in general). I didn't know that was the problem till well into my teaching career. I actually found out when one of our students was doing a study and needed someone to participate in her research as a pilot subject. (I found out a few other things as well but that's a long story). :) The first thing I'd suggest is finding a way to get a neurological test battery done. I know that can be extremely difficult to arrange into a busy schedule. But it can lead to great improvement in your acceptance of this or other small difficulties you might encounter. In my case I can trace the problem back to a specific bicycle accident. Of course, neurologically after a short crisis I was told I was fine- but they mean medically. Being lucky enough to have a few extra gray cell connections (thank goodness for those genes!) I was compensating in a variety of ways for some small permanent damage. It wasn't concentrated enough in a single spot to show medically (i.e., very little difference showed up on x-rays at the time- big surprize). But I did notice that I couldn't run as fast as I could as a youngster, sometimes became accident prone in quite odd ways and just had a just plain embarrassing inability to remember names. I thought I was "just geting old". The important thing (to keept this from getting too long) is that the result you mention can come from several distinct problems. The way you deal with it is partly dependent on what the deficit is. The reason you need the professional advice is that you may well be trying mnemnoic devices that could actually exacerbate the problem or be ineffective and just a waste of time. In my case, none of these methods works. My brain will compensate. But I have a tendency to have a slight "panic" when I can't remember a student or colleagues name. This leads to trying harder and harder to get it to come out. That leads to less and less chance the work-arounds my brain is capable of are going to work. The only technique that works for me (and I empathize with your "tried everything statement!) is to relax and think about something else for a moment and the name just comes. It isn't easy, mind you, as I'm a bit of a perfectionist in my expectations of my teaching. I still feel bad when it happens but I know now that only gets in the way. In the long run, I'm remembering my student's names far more often though I'm by no means perfect. And both our college and our department, in particular, have had fairly large increases in students recently. (In 1994 we had 30+ majors, in 1999 we had 45, but by last year we are at nearly 100! My classes have gone from averaging 12 to averaging 23+ with the occasional one of 40+.) BTW- one resource you have is being honest with your students that you have that problem. In my case, this difficulty has gone from being an embarrasing lack of concern (their perceptions according to the feedback) to the point now that it serves as an endearing quality (maybe I just don't have that many others!). Seriously, I emphathize with your problem- I think you've taken the first step in recognizing that it isn't lack of effort- but find out what's really going on. It may be that you just need to accept this as a personal quirk and spend that time with your students regardless of what they want to be called. :) Tim -Original Message- From: DeVolder Carol L [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wed 9/7/2005 9:57 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences Subject: remembering students' names Dear Tipsters, I know that some of you are very good at learning students' names in a very short time frame. I could sure use some advice in that regard. My memory for names is embarassingly poor. I'm lucky if I remember students' names by the end of the semester, and that's only if it's a very small class or if a particular student does something outrageous or distinctive. I have tried everything I can think of--I take attendance every day, often I pass a camera around in class and get "mug shots," and I try linking a feature with a name (e.g., Carly has curly hair). I really try, I honestly do, and I know it's important to the students (and so it's important to me). I tell them this true story so that they won't be hurt if I forget their names: About 15 years ago as I was drifting off to sleep, my husband, whose name is Larry, said, "Good night Carol." In my twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness, I mumbled, "Good night Lester." I don't even know a Lester, but I knew my husband's name started with an L. Lucky for me, my husband unders
Re: remembering students' names
Hi Beth, I can relate to what you have experienced. A student of mine once complained that I spent too much time in my intro class talking about sex (it was the chapter on motivation...). Anyhow, my Chair at the time told me that I should perhaps be careful when discussing "sensitive" issues. I told her that if a student (mature, she was in her 50's) could not take a discussion on sexuality as a motivating force on behaviour, then she should simply not attend the class! Anyhow, I say this because I find it unfortunate that one single event has made you stop what seemed to work for you. Overall, one student complaining out of the many you photographed, that's not too high an average, is it? Cheers! Jean-Marc Beth Benoit wrote: I did the picture-taking (and stapling them on an index card with the student's name) until a student went to the dean and complained that I invaded her privacy and traumatized her by taking her picture. I was dumbfounded. I always preface the picture-taking by saying that if anyone strongly prefers that I not take their picture, I won't. But I've stopped taking the pictures since then. And my remembering is the worse for it. Beth Benoit Granite State College Portsmouth NH --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: remembering students' names
Of course you're right, Jean-Marc. It points out how overly sensitive I am to criticism. I'm going to reinstitute my old method. God knows I need all the help I can get. Beth Benoit Granite State College Portsmouth, New Hampshire - Original Message - From: "Jean-Marc Perreault" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2005 1:19 PM Subject: Re: remembering students' names Hi Beth, I can relate to what you have experienced. A student of mine once complained that I spent too much time in my intro class talking about sex (it was the chapter on motivation...). Anyhow, my Chair at the time told me that I should perhaps be careful when discussing "sensitive" issues. I told her that if a student (mature, she was in her 50's) could not take a discussion on sexuality as a motivating force on behaviour, then she should simply not attend the class! Anyhow, I say this because I find it unfortunate that one single event has made you stop what seemed to work for you. Overall, one student complaining out of the many you photographed, that's not too high an average, is it? Cheers! Jean-Marc Beth Benoit wrote: I did the picture-taking (and stapling them on an index card with the student's name) until a student went to the dean and complained that I invaded her privacy and traumatized her by taking her picture. I was dumbfounded. I always preface the picture-taking by saying that if anyone strongly prefers that I not take their picture, I won't. But I've stopped taking the pictures since then. And my remembering is the worse for it. Beth Benoit Granite State College Portsmouth NH --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: remembering students' names
Carol et al: Harkening back to my "discrimination learning" days, the standard line back then was that the students must first become perceptually distinct. Then you can attach responses (names) to the separate percepts. That is, don't try to attach responses until the stimuli were discriminable. The S-R underpinnings of this logic are questionable, but at the practical level I found it helpful. You have to attend to the students, and for shy people this is difficult. I find this easier during examinations, when I can stare at them. After the first exam I have clear percepts of their faces that are easy to attach labels to. I always had difficulty using the standard mnemonic devices - they were too much trouble. Interestingly, the names are sometimes remembered for a long time. About a year or two ago I contacted my Russian teacher from 30 years ago, and he not only remembered me, but he inquired as to whether I had given up smoking (I had). John W. Kulig Professor of Psychology Plymouth State College Plymouth NH 03264 "Push not the river; it will flow of its own accord" - Polish saying. > -Original Message- > From: Shearon, Tim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2005 12:55 PM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences > Subject: RE: remembering students' names > > Carol- Reading your note brings a note of recognition to me. I too have > great difficulty remembering names (well, truth be told I have a slight > neurological deficit and have difficulty with proper nouns in general). I > didn't know that was the problem till well into my teaching career. I > actually found out when one of our students was doing a study and needed > someone to participate in her research as a pilot subject. (I found out a > few other things as well but that's a long story). :) The first thing I'd > suggest is finding a way to get a neurological test battery done. I know > that can be extremely difficult to arrange into a busy schedule. But it > can lead to great improvement in your acceptance of this or other small > difficulties you might encounter. > > In my case I can trace the problem back to a specific bicycle accident. Of > course, neurologically after a short crisis I was told I was fine- but > they mean medically. Being lucky enough to have a few extra gray cell > connections (thank goodness for those genes!) I was compensating in a > variety of ways for some small permanent damage. It wasn't concentrated > enough in a single spot to show medically (i.e., very little difference > showed up on x-rays at the time- big surprize). But I did notice that I > couldn't run as fast as I could as a youngster, sometimes became accident > prone in quite odd ways and just had a just plain embarrassing inability > to remember names. I thought I was "just geting old". The important thing > (to keept this from getting too long) is that the result you mention can > come from several distinct problems. The way you deal with it is partly > dependent on what the deficit is. The reason you need the professional > advice is that you may well be trying mnemnoic devices that could actually > exacerbate the problem or be ineffective and just a waste of time. In my > case, none of these methods works. My brain will compensate. But I have a > tendency to have a slight "panic" when I can't remember a student or > colleagues name. This leads to trying harder and harder to get it to come > out. That leads to less and less chance the work-arounds my brain is > capable of are going to work. The only technique that works for me (and I > empathize with your "tried everything statement!) is to relax and think > about something else for a moment and the name just comes. > > It isn't easy, mind you, as I'm a bit of a perfectionist in my > expectations of my teaching. I still feel bad when it happens but I know > now that only gets in the way. In the long run, I'm remembering my > student's names far more often though I'm by no means perfect. And both > our college and our department, in particular, have had fairly large > increases in students recently. (In 1994 we had 30+ majors, in 1999 we had > 45, but by last year we are at nearly 100! My classes have gone from > averaging 12 to averaging 23+ with the occasional one of 40+.) > > BTW- one resource you have is being honest with your students that you > have that problem. In my case, this difficulty has gone from being an > embarrasing lack of concern (their perceptions according to the feedback) > to the point now that it serves as an endearing quality (maybe I just > don't
Re: remembering students' names
In classes of up to 40 students, I always take pictures to learn their names. I used to take snapshots, get them to autograph the backs, and then study them like flashcards. Now I simply set my camera on movie mode and get film clips in which each student looks into the lens and clearly says his/her name. I review these clips on my computer (10-15 students on each clip) before class and soon know them pretty well. On rare occasions, a student doesn't want the picture taken. But my position is that learning of student names using the camera is an efficient technique in effective teaching. I consider the procedure part of the class requirements. I've done this for 30 years and have yet to receive an official complaint. --Dave DeVolder Carol L wrote: Dear Tipsters, I know that some of you are very good at learning students' names in a very short time frame. I could sure use some advice in that regard. My memory for names is embarassingly poor. I'm lucky if I remember students' names by the end of the semester, and that's only if it's a very small class or if a particular student does something outrageous or distinctive. I have tried everything I can think of--I take attendance every day, often I pass a camera around in class and get "mug shots," and I try linking a feature with a name (e.g., Carly has curly hair). I really try, I honestly do, and I know it's important to the students (and so it's important to me). I tell them this true story so that they won't be hurt if I forget their names: About 15 years ago as I was drifting off to sleep, my husband, whose name is Larry, said, "Good night Carol." In my twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness, I mumbled, "Good night Lester." I don't even know a Lester, but I knew my husband's name started with an L. Lucky for me, my husband understood because he's known me a very long time (and we've now been married for 32 years). At the time, I was awakened by my own embarassment and I've not made that mistake again (yet), but I'd really like to get better at students' names. Can you all tell me what you do and what seems to work best for you? I've been teaching for about 16 years or so, and so far my own efforts haven't been very successful. Am I just doomed to having a poor memory or is there something that I can do? Thanks, Carol Carol DeVolder, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Chair, Department of Psychology St. Ambrose University Davenport, Iowa 52803 phone: 563-333-6482 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- ___ David E. Campbell, Ph.D.[EMAIL PROTECTED] Department of PsychologyPhone: 707-826-3721 Humboldt State University FAX: 707-826-4993 Arcata, CA 95521-8299 www.humboldt.edu/~campbell/psyc.htm --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
