Part 1: Pronouncing Names... Butchering Roll Call

Ok, wow!  Being born as Eva Kaloshis, I often used to wait during the attendance calling.  The pause was me.   Regardless that my older siblings also attended the small rural school district, my name was often mispronounced.   I did pick up a few collaborators along the way, who really wanted to nail it, but I had just as many who wanted to nick-name or go with their own version of my name.
As a Sweet Home teacher, I get a lot of names in front of me.  My plan, is first day, I give it a go and ask how the kid likes to hear their name.   Many will give me an "English" version (I go by).  Other's don't.   For the others, I usually try to touch base with the person, on day one, and say "I'm going to learn your name.  Please let me know if I'm not getting it right".  This almost always brings on a smile.  And, I do work on it.   Eye contact and an affirming nod can go a long way!
Over the years, I find myself truly identifying my first name with an A sound vs an E.   It is who I am.  It is. how I introduce myself.   When I hear the hard E, I'll say, "I pronounce it Ava".   I used to say, which ever one you like is fine, until someone asked me what I call myself.    I recognized that my internal person deserves to have external voices address me correctly.   I will try to do the same for others.   Thank you for this article.

I have definitely mispronounced students name throughout the year. Last year, I had a student in class who was absolute sweetheart. I was saying her name wrong for like the first month of school. She never corrected me. One day all her friends were like “Ms. Bruce its Fahtima not Faaaitma.” I was like omg I didn’t realize. I felt terrible. I couldn’t apologize enough. I wanted to get it right. I wanted to show her and the kids that I respected her enough to get her name right! I was so proud and thankful for the kids for correcting me.  I love how they spoke up and supported her. That’s so important. Some steps I have taken since this happened last year is to have kids record their full names in notability when we begin the year. In September the kids complete a getting to know you activity. The kids tell me all sorts of things about themselves. First and foremost however they speak their name. Having the ability to go back and listen and practice has been super helpful. Hearing the kids speak their story is important.

This segment of the podcast hit home for me. I can relate to any student that has his/her name butchered by an adult.  I try very hard at the beginning of every year to read over and pronounce the name of each of my students. If I have a question on how to pronounce a name I will then seek out the assigned counselor.  Counselors are a very good resource for pronouncing names of a student(s). They also have information about each student that allows me some insight into their background. Which then allows us a chance to strike up meaningful conversations. 

During the "mask era" of teaching I asked students to make introductory videos at home about themselves and submit it on Schoology. I mainly wanted to be able to see their whole face and learn a bit about them: interests, hobbies, preferred pronouns, what helps them learn best, etc. What I didn't expect was how immensely helpful this assignment was in learning how to pronounce my students' names properly. So often I would ask students to confirm if I was saying it correctly, and students would wave me off and say "oh it's fine" or "close enough." Having this as a stored assignment in Schoology allows me to go back and listen to him or her say their name multiple times, without having to risk embarrassment to the student in front of his or her peers. It's the fall of 22 as I write this and the vast majority of students are no longer wearing masks, but I still ask them to make the intro videos!

How can I continue to work on becoming a stronger calibrator this year? 

One of the my first day activities is a making a name tag behind the story and meaning of their name.  So many of our ELL students have rich names with significant meaning and a story behind it. Hearing them say their name out loud, with a story, helps me to practice their name and a mental connection to that story.   

I like how the podcaster specifically mentioned the use of a name/nickname provided by the student.  As part of the acculturation process, some students do have a preference on what they are called.  Not as a way to "make it easier" for their teachers to pronounce but more as a way to develop their multicultural identity.  I have had many students from China who tell me that they would like to be called a name while here in the USA.  I usually ask them what their Chinese name is as well so I can also value their given name.   I would like to continue this tradition of not so much taking roll, but self-introductions so that this power of sharing their name is on the student.   
 

Pronouncing students names correctly is important to me. I ask all students at the beginning of each year to correct me if I say their name incorrectly or if I use a name different from the one they prefer. I read the book "Speak Up" at the beginning of the year that encourages students to speak up in a variety of situations including when someone is mispronouncing their name. We have also discussed how students can speak up for each other when they recognize an adult saying a name incorrectly. This year I had one girl help me out with her friends name by giving me a tip for proper pronunciation. I am proud that they recognize the importance and that they help one another in that way.  I worry that sometimes I am unintentionally a fumble-bumbler where I believe that I am pronouncing a students name correctly but am not. If I'm ever unsure, I do try to check in with them during the year, but I am always trying to get better.

I could relate to the story told.  I won an award at my college graduation and I didn't even know it was for me initially because they called me Alicia.  It wasn't until a professor grabbed me and corrected the presenter that I realized it was for me.  I do feel sorry for my peers growing up.  I can remember those long pauses during roll call like it was yesterday.  The class was so used to this that we would pronounce the name for the new teacher.  

To be a calibrator I will make sure I have first and last names stated correctly and I will help the students correct other adults as well.  If I don't get the name right away, I will meet with the student after class (away from their peers) in order for me to make sure I have the correct pronunciation.

I feel like I am definitely a calibrator. I often will ask the student to pronounce their last name for me before I butcher it because once a person says it incorrectly, it is more difficult to correct. I will ask if I am pronouncing it correctly if I am not sure. I also use phonetic spellings on my attendance sheets.

One of my best friends growing up had the last name Radoccia...it became the norm to laugh about how all the teachers got it wrong every year. She did not make a big deal about it, but I knew that it bothered her. It is so much easier to learn all our friends' names because we hear them pronounced many times, even before we necessarily see them in writing. Now from the teacher point-of-view, I realize how hard it is to pronounce names without ever hearing them first. My maiden growing up was easy to pronounce, but my married name is butchered regularly and misspelled by colleagues and students alike.  Honestly, at this point, it does not bother me...I work at pronouncing and spelling my name for those who are just learning it. I show where the mistake is typically made. I try to make it easier for others, so they do not feel embarrassed. 

Being an ENL teacher, one of the most important things I can do as their teacher is learn their names!  I always try and put myself into their shoes as they are sitting in front of me during the 1st few days of school.  They may be REALLY nervous about being in an American school and the LEAST I can do is call them by their actual name.  I think that people sometimes feel silly saying names that have different sounds than the names we are used to hearing in English.  I think it's safe to say that It can make teachers feel a little self-conscious.  One thing I was thinking when I was listening was when she talked about giving "nicknames" to kids who have difficult to pronounce names.  I think this can be very endearing; I have had many students prefer a nickname and of course, I check to make sure this is absolutely what they not and it's not pressure.  Often, these students take their name into adulthood and it's part of them now.  I think it can be a great thing.  To circle back, names carry very special ideas and feelings and it's important to learn them and say them correctly.

1. I can relate to this podcast a lot. I have a very common first name and yet a lot of people struggled not with pronunciation, but with spelling. A lot of the time, those who don't know me well would spell my name S-A-R-A without the H. Although it made no difference in the pronunciation it made me feel as though they didn't know me or care to know me. Even my friend's wife who has known me for 3 or 4 years now still spells it incorrectly. Furthermore with a maiden name like Popadowski I am used to no end of incorrect pronunciation. It's said exactly as it sounds Pop-a-d'ow-skee but I have heard it pronounced every way imaginable. Although it was irritating, it had the benefit of telling me immediately the person I was speaking to didn't know me (and was probably a telemarketer). 

2. I can be a collaborator by making sure my students know that I am making an effort to get their name right. This means asking them to pronounce it themselves for me first, asking them if I am saying it correctly and apologizing if I don't get it right and never making them feel at fault for having an unusual name. This is something I feel I do quite naturally when I begin the school year or get new students. I can also make an effort to listen to how my colleagues pronounce a name and confirm with them if I am saying a student's name correctly. And naturally this should include learning to pronounce my colleagues names correctly as well.