It is week five. There is a robust class discussion, the kind you have been trying to create the space for all semester. A student makes a great point to move the conversation forward and you respond with “Great point! This is the perfect segway to what we are going to cover next…I don’t remember your name, but great job.” Not your best moment.
We have all been there. Remembering student names has always been hard for me, just like it is for so many of us. It is also important to remember names and preferred pronouns to cultivate an inclusive and welcoming classroom which is why this topic has become a somewhat regular tradition for Tuesday Teaching Tips.
This year I want to emphasize this enduring theme through the work of Michelle Miller whose book A Teacher’s Guide to Learning Student Names will be available in November (you can pre-order now). Miller’s text is more than a how-to guide, it is rich with research from her background in psycholinguistics. One of the takeaways highlighted in this Chronicle of Higher Education interview (available with a free account) is that learning names is hard, because it is different from other words. We have to tap into the power of association in an intentional way to actually remember.
Miller promotes a four step process of attend, say, associate, and retrieve. This is explained in more detail in the interview and explicated much more in her book. It is worth a read as we all have room to improve in this area.
Finally a reminder, this Friday at 12PM is the kick-off of our Zoom webinar series on Free Speech and Inclusion. We are starting with Free Speech Basics, which should be accessible to everyone. Faculty and staff are welcome to attend any part of the series, we look forward to seeing you soon.
Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150
All past Tuesday Tips are curated on the FDEV website.
