Part 1: Pronouncing Names... Butchering Roll Call

1.) Of course I can't help but think of the substitute sketch. We have all heard kids' names said incorrectly. I remember waiting for the sub to make their way down the list to kids with very complex names. We often joked about how it would be said this time. Some of my students are angry when a teacher they had all year cannot say their names. 
2.) Kids feel like we don't know them when we don't say their names correctly. I do not intentionally mangle anyone's names. I try to have the kids record it on Thinktech so that I may listen to both their first and last names. I have most first names down no problem. Most of the kids do not want to correct us over and over if we say their names wrong. There are also specific phonemes that we do not have the ability to hear or pronounce based on the language adaptation of specialization. This is not a cop out, but linguistic science. This is where the idea of the public vs. private comes into play in my opinion. By asking students in private to say their name and repeating it to them we are able to determine how it is said and they can feel more comfortable telling us. Surrounded by their friends they feel awkward that their names are not "common or normal." By taking time to work with kids this way, they know that it is okay to tell me I am wrong and it shows that teachers are putting in effort. Some of my students give a different name right off the bat, because they were embarrassed before.

 I recently experienced the same issue a few weeks ago!  A student pulled me aside as I was walking around the classroom and said, “Mrs. Utzig, you know you’ve been saying Daniyah’s name wrong all year!” I was absolutely mortified.  I have always tried to make a point to know each student’s name 2-3 days into the school year and create a classroom environment where everyone feels welcome. I immediately apologized to the student and asked again for the correct pronunciation.  When I asked Daniyah why she didn’t correct me, her response was, “I didn’t want to make you feel bad.”

 The two lines from the podcast that resonated with me was “recognize a person for who they want to be seen as” and “make every student feel important.”  I have had a few students approach me discussing LGBTQ and what pronouns & names they preferred to be called.  These instances and discussions have reminded me of how essential it is as educators to be calibrators.  It is ok to humble ourselves in front of students and to slow down our teaching pace to show students we care about them. Striving to be a calibrator will take effort and patience. However, getting a student’s name correct can make a huge difference and show the utmost respect.

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With a Z in my last name, my name would rarely be pronounced correctly. Tr-as would be the common way I hear and I would correct the person only when they ask for clarification once I hit high school. Maybe I had actually gotten used to it? I never felt embarrassment, but it got old when I was a kid, until the eventual acceptance in high school. 

2. I start every class in the beginning of the year by having the students make name tents and introducing themselves. I take notes on the pronunciation of the name. I also tell the students that this is an area I need to improve in, that I struggle with remembering names and pronouncing them. I tell them that is important to me that they correct me if I struggle as I want to know them and their name. I have gotten a lot of grace from students as they see that I try and I tell them to not hesitate in correcting me. I am absolutely glad I am not an "Arrogant Mangler" , yikes! Students appreciate the effort, but I think I could seek out teachers before hand and tackle names I think I might not have heard before.  

PART 1: Pronouncing Names… Butchering the roll call 
1.     What do you Think??  REFLECT:  Perhaps you have a name or you can recall a classmate with a difficult name to pronounce.  Predictably, year after year, teachers butcher the same name.  What was the outcome?  Was it awkward, long-lasting, humiliating?  What was the impact??This seems as though it might be embarrassing and would “get old” very quickly.  Getting a name wrong on the first try, I feel is understandable.  But when it repeatedly occurs year after year, instance after instance, this would make a student feel like they are not important enough to learn the name.  This devalues the student which in turn may have them devalue their learning.  Mispronunciation especially in the “arrogant mangler” manner, makes students feel as if they do not matter and result in less effort reciprocated.

2.     Now What??  How might you become a “calibrator?”  What steps will you take this school year to learn student names properly in your class?  (avoid a side-show!)I think it is very important to make the effort to be a “calibrator”.  Proudly, after hearing what this is, I put myself into this category.  I remember personally seeing people struggle with family member’s names and how happy they would be when someone actually took the time to get it. This little joy motivates me to want to do the same for my students. No matter how long it takes at times. I always do the initial roll call in my classroom the first week of school by walking desk to desk when students are independently working. Almost like a brief mini conference.  This gives me a personal (not public) moment to get their name, place it with their face, ask for pronunciation, and ask if there is a name preference.  After this I am never afraid to humble myself by asking to be corrected and apologizing if I make an error. This helps set a comfortable and safe atmosphere that students want to be in and therefore are willing to participate and learn.

1. Yes, the first day of school is always so challenging with roll call.  Every year I will often start by saying... "Ok guys, I apologize if I mess this up, my teachers always would say my last name wrong so please let me know how to say it".  I do try to write their names phonetically on a paper next to them, but admittedly I will often not say their last names throughout the year.

2. I need to make a better effort at getting their FULL name and use it as much as I can once I have finally learned it.  I like the idea of asking them after class in private so that I can really focus on it one-on-one.