My Best Hack for Memorizing Student Names
Matching student names with faces isn’t easy, but it’s important. Google Classroom can help.
I will teach 219 middle school students this year. It’s the highest number I’ve ever taught.
I’m also a vice-principal for our small middle school, which means that culture has to be my jam. School is fundamentally a people business, and relationships matter. A lot.
Maslow before Bloom was a clever phrase that came out of the pandemic. It was a poignant reminder to all of us: before kids can learn, think creatively, and self-actualize, the fundamental needs of humanity must be taken care of.
Students can’t learn about linear equations if they don’t feel safe, known, loved, and appreciated for who they are. That’s just how it goes.
And here’s the thing: for me to have a chance at knowing, loving, and appreciating each of my 219 students in any kind of meaningful way, I need to know their names.
The trouble with names
Learning the names of a lot of students isn’t easy, and the pandemic makes it even harder.
I only see some of my students once a week, and many of them only for a 10-week window in the year (for a technology elective).
