I’m currently reading Kirsten Colquhoun’s new book: ‘A Practical Guide to Pupil Wellbeing: Strategies for Classroom Teachers’ (John Catt Ed, 2023). Kirsten talks in a compelling way about the importance of pupils ‘being known’, and how each individual pupil needs to feel known, valued, and to have a sense of belonging within the school community. This starts, Kirsten suggests, with teachers knowing their name.
“Make it a priority to know the names of all your pupils. This matters to young people more than you realise…Imagine how you, a young quiet member of the class, would feel if you were made aware that, months in, the teacher did not even remember your name.”
This made me remember my early days of teaching, and the strategies I tried until I found one that worked for me, in terms of remembering individual names. I didn’t find seating plans easy, as they required me constantly to keep looking up and down. But if I gave each pupil a folded A4 card at the start of my first lesson with them, and asked them to write their first name in large, bold letters and place the card at the front of their desk, then being able to see their face and their name at the same time meant that it was more likely to ‘stick’. At the end of each lesson I would stand at the door and collect the name cards, looking each student in the eye and saying something like, ‘Thanks, Sarah. Thank you, Edward. Bye, Daniel. See you tomorrow, Alisha…’ and that helped, too. I kept each class set of cards in a folder, and at the start of the next lesson I would give out as many of the cards as I could before I had to stop and check names. In each lesson I could give out more. I tried hard to ensure I could give out all the cards, without asking them for help, after as few lessons as possible (when they usually gave me a spontaneous round of applause!)
When I was a head, I made the decision that I would continue to teach, and I chose to teach English to every Year 7 class for one lesson each week (with the Head of Department’s blessing) mainly to get to know the pupils at that stage of their school career, and for them to get to know me. Because I only saw each class once a week, it usually took me until October half term before I knew them all – that was my target. After seven years in post I knew all the students in Years 7 to 13 – and it definitely helped me to form good relationships, as a head. I’ve written about this here. If you’re a teaching head, you need to be careful about your reasons for teaching, and to have strategies to ensure that the students you teach aren’t disadvantaged (which can happen), that you’re not being self-indulgent, and that you’re not using the classroom as an escape.
I am fully aware that the method I used may not work for others, and I don’t think it matters HOW you learn pupils’ names – as long as you do. I enjoyed this post from Art teacher and Senior Leader Jo Baker, about the strategy she uses.
I also remember one particular teacher in the school where I was a head who was struggling in his relationship with his classes, and pupil behaviour was not all it should have been. He asked for support, and was willing for me to sit in on some of the lessons to observe and then to discuss possible next steps with him. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, behaviour was better when I was there, but relationships were clearly not as positive as they could have been. When I talked to the teacher afterwards, I mentioned that he tended not to use individual pupils’ names in his interactions, and he admitted, a little uncomfortably, that he did not know all their names – this was some way into the academic year.
When I suggested that this was something he should make a priority, he shrugged and said, “I just can’t learn names. I’ve tried and I can’t do it.” I explained that it might be that he hadn’t yet found a strategy which worked for him, but that there would BE a strategy, and we could work together to find it. I said that teachers not getting to know individual pupils’ names wasn’t something I could accept, as the head. We did get there eventually.
As schools start again after October half term, it could be a good time to give thought to this. Do you know the individual names of all the pupils you teach? If not, what can you do in the weeks ahead to remember them all? Ask yourself whose names you’re still struggling with. I vividly recall once, with one of my Year 7 classes, just as I was congratulating myself silently on handing out all the cards, two very quiet girls, who did look a little alike, without saying anything, just surreptitiously exchanged the cards I had given them. I saw this and apologised, of course, but I still remember how uncomfortable I felt – and I thought of this when I read Kirsten’s “Imagine how you, a quiet member of the class, would feel…”
Perhaps add in the comments below any suggestions of methods you have used which have helped? Thank you.
jillberry102 