What's in a Name? - Mike Anderson Consulting

How do you refer to the students in your class when addressing them? At first glance, this may seem like a trivial issue; but consider how many times throughout the day we speak to students to get their attention. The patterns we establish for naming our class will be repeated over and over all year long, so getting ourselves into the right habits—naming our class in ways that shape positive identity—can have a profound impact on how students see themselves, which will in turn impact how they work, learn, and respond to us and to each other.

Here’s a summary of names commonly used along with a few you might like to try instead.

Avoid		Why
“Boys and girls”		Is gender the most important characteristic of our students? Do we want to emphasize gender?
“Ms. Petersen’s Class”		This emphasizes the teacher as the defining feature of the class. It also sounds as if the students belong to the teacher.
“Little Duckies,” “Kiddies,” “Peanuts,” etc.		Any name that sounds cutesy or makes students sound like pets may be off-putting and feel disrespectful.
Instead, Try		Why
“First graders”		Straightforward and descriptive, this is an easy substitute for “boys and girls.”
“Scientists,” “Readers,” “Mathematicians,” etc.		Used when teaching a particular content area, these names all imply that students are engaged in meaningful work.
“Magicians,” “Team Thinkers”		Consider having your class brainstorm and choose a class name that can be used throughout the year.

When should you make the switch to a more positive name? Any time’s a good time, but now—several weeks into the new school year—is ideal. Academic routines are probably pretty well established, the class is coming together as a learning community, and students are ready for more complexity, responsibility, and independence. A new name is a great way to recognize what they’ve already accomplished and to convey your confidence in all that they’ll learn in the year ahead.

(Original post: http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/whats-name)

Mike Anderson
Mike Anderson has been an educator for more than 25 years. A public school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool, coached swim teams, and taught university graduate level classes. He now works as a consultant providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and beyond. In 2004, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award, and in 2005 he was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written nine books about great teaching and learning. His latest book is Tackling the Motivation Crisis: How to Activate Student Learning Without Behavior Charts, Pizza Parties, or Other Hard-to-Quit Incentive Systems. When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH.