As I am just beginning my teaching career, I have not experienced a child who had a "nickname" given, due to the fact that others could not pronounce their name. Taking a step back and thinking about that, I could not imagine that being a positive feeling, or experience for that child. To me that shows the lack of respect and care that those around them have about learning their name. It shows the lack of dedication as well. Yes it can be overwhelming and challenging, but giving up because it is "too hard" is not a good excuse. It can/will make the student feel as though they are not valued and respected in the same way their peers with "normal" names are. Creating a cheat sheet, and writing notes for yourself to better help pronounce their name is a great first step. I remember many of my teachers taking notes on their attendance sheets the first week of school so they remember what each student prefers to be called, and how to pronounce their name. I see so much value in this, and will do this within my own classroom, and with my students.
