Michelle Miller, a Professor of Psychological Sciences and teaching expert, shares her insights on the importance of learning students' names for inclusive education. She discusses evidence-based strategies that help educators remember names, especially in larger classes. The impact of mispronounced names on student identity and engagement is highlighted, alongside techniques that improve connection and retention, including structured icebreakers and technology use. Miller also addresses the nuances of names and pronouns in communication, enhancing inclusivity in classrooms.
Learning and correctly pronouncing students' names foster a sense of belonging, significantly enhancing inclusive teaching practices.
Employing effective strategies like the ASAR framework and personalized techniques enables educators to overcome challenges in remembering names, promoting engagement.
Deep dives
The Importance of Learning Students' Names
Learning students' names and the correct pronunciation of those names is essential for inclusive teaching practices. Names play a crucial role in a student's identity, and making an effort to learn and use them correctly fosters a sense of belonging. Failing to acknowledge names can alienate students, as improperly pronounced or ignored names may lead to feelings of disrespect. Developing a more interactive teaching mindset helps to create a two-way relationship between instructors and students, demonstrating that educators care about their students as individuals.
Cognitive Challenges in Remembering Names
Many instructors struggle with remembering names due to inherent cognitive biases in the way names are processed and recalled. The Baker-Baker effect illustrates how names can often be disadvantaged in memory retrieval compared to more descriptive attributes tied to individual identities. This common challenge creates a sense of validation among educators, as they learn that issues with memorizing names are widespread. Acknowledging these cognitive struggles allows educators to address them more effectively, leading to improved memory techniques and engagement with students.
Strategies for Learning Names in the Classroom
Effective strategies for learning names in educational settings revolve around the principles of attention, association, and retrieval. Educators can employ techniques like structured icebreakers, where students introduce each other, allowing teachers to covertly rehearse and recall names as they circulate. The ASAR framework, which encourages educators to attend, say, associate, and retrieve names, provides a solid foundation for building memorization skills. By integrating these practices into classroom activities, faculty can cultivate a stronger connection with their students from the outset.
Scaling Name Learning for Large Classes
Teaching large classes presents unique challenges for learning students' names, but there are effective methods to make this feasible. Techniques such as using table tents personalized with names help create a sense of familiarity even in large courses. Research shows that even knowing a fraction of students' names can have a significant positive impact on their perceptions of the instructor and the learning environment. By incorporating collaborative activities and leveraging technology, educators can successfully engage with students and foster a sense of community, regardless of class size.
Learning students’ names can be a challenging, but important, component of inclusive teaching. In this episode, Michelle Miller joins us to discuss evidence-based strategies for learning students’ names.
Michelle is a Professor of Psychological Sciences and President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Northern Arizona University. She is the author of Minds Online: Teaching Effectively with Technology and Remembering and Forgetting in the Age of Technology: Teaching, Learning, and the Science of Memory in a Wired World. Her newest book, A Teacher’s Guide to Learning Students’ Names: Why You Should, Why It’s Hard, How You Can will be released in November from the University of Oklahoma Press. Michelle is also a frequent contributor of articles on teaching and learning in higher education to publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education.