I meet with more than 100 students per day in my Earth science classes. As a relatively new teacher, I need suggestions on how to get to know them better including learning their names and interests in a timely manner. – L., Connecticut

Students like to know teachers care about and respect them. Knowing their names is important from the start. When I would dutifully call out names on the first day, I predictably mispronounced a few or used a full name rather than a preferred nickname. Although some students found this hilarious, it embarrassed me and other students. So I started asking the students to introduce themselves, allowing me to annotate my list with phonetic spellings and nicknames. Regardless of how you feel about seating charts, I found them helpful at the beginning of the year to connect names and faces.

Identifying their interests can help personalize the science class. During the first week of school, ask students to write down information about themselves on index cards: name, birthday, nickname, interests/hobbies, school-related activities, out-of-school activities, (e.g., community organizations, sports teams, jobs), and other favorites and conversation-starters. I used a different color for each class, and each day I pulled a card and made a point to talk to that student informally. Other ideas from our colleagues:

• Steve Olenchek created a “Sciencebook” page for students to share more information about themselves (the page is similar to a Facebook page). 

• Darci Sosa collects similar information in an online Google Docs survey. The results can be viewed in a spreadsheet. She sorts by any of the columns and uses information to group students with similar responses.

Your initial connections with students can promote participation and create a positive climate for learning.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rongyos/2686415336/