Teach17

Learning names quickly is one of the easiest ways to build relationships with a new class. It helps with behaviour, questioning and making pupils feel that you know who they are. The sooner you can use names confidently, the easier the class often becomes to teach.

1. Use a seating plan from the very first lesson. Linking a pupil’s name to a fixed place in the room gives your brain an extra clue and makes names much easier to remember.
2. Say each pupil’s name out loud when you first meet them. Hearing yourself say the name while looking directly at the pupil helps create a much stronger connection.
3. Use names as often as possible during the lesson. Say a pupil’s name when asking a question, praising a good answer or giving a reminder so you are constantly practising.
4. Take the register yourself and look at each pupil as they respond. Try not to stare at the screen or register sheet while calling names because you lose the chance to connect each name with a face.
5. Learn the class in small sections rather than trying to remember everyone at once. You might focus on the front row first, then the middle and finally the back.
6. Test yourself while pupils are working independently. Look around the room and see how many names you can recall before checking the seating plan.
7. Ask again if you forget someone’s name. Most pupils will not mind being asked a second or even third time, especially if they can see that you are genuinely trying to learn everyone.
8. Use cold calling from the beginning. Choosing pupils by name for questions gives you regular practice while also establishing that everyone is expected to participate.
9. Link each name to something that happened in the lesson. You might remember the pupil who gave a good answer about forces, the pupil who asked an interesting question or the pupil sitting beside the window.
10. Spend a couple of minutes looking at the seating plan before the class arrives. Try to picture where each pupil will be sitting rather than simply reading a list of names.
11. Review the names again straight after the lesson. Before moving on to your next task, see how many pupils you can remember while the lesson is still fresh in your mind.
12. Set yourself the challenge of using every pupil’s name during the lesson. You may not manage it every time, but it stops you relying on the names of the most confident pupils.
13. Use names when circulating around the classroom. Instead of simply saying “well done” or “check that again”, use the pupil’s name as part of the conversation.
14. Avoid phrases such as “you at the back” or “the boy by the door”. Checking the seating plan and using the correct name takes slightly longer at first but helps you learn much faster.
15. Make a particular effort with names you find difficult to pronounce. Ask the pupil how they say their name, repeat it back and make a note of the pronunciation if necessary.
16. Quiz yourself at the end of each lesson. Close the seating plan and try to write down or say as many names as you can, then check which ones you missed.
17. Keep using names once you have learned them. Knowing a name is not just a memory exercise; using it regularly helps pupils feel recognised and helps you build stronger relationships with the class.