It often annoys me when people mispronounce my last name. It seems to me that it is simple and straightforward, and that if someone doesn't try to get it right, that they just don't care enough.
I am proud to say that I have always tried to pronounce people's names correctly. Since I teach in the Library, I see every one of our 440+ students every week. I keep an updated roster for every class, and there is a space next to every name for notes I jot down. Whenever we get a new student, I ask them to say their own name for me, and I repeat it back to them, asking if I got it right. I try a couple of times to make sure I have it. I also ask what they like to be called, even if it is a name like Nicholas or Amanda. I never assume anyone wants their name shortened. (My son likes Nicholas or Nick, but my daughter would take your head off if you called her Mandy:) I then jot down any nickname they tell me, and the phonetic spelling (or accented syllables) for their names.
Another part of my job is producing our school's daily news broadcast. Fifth graders announce every student's birthday on air. I demand that the kids practice the names until they can say them correctly, and I teach them how to spell names phonetically on the script. Sometimes I need to correct them during a live broadcast because I believe it is that important.
My bigger problem is when I can't remember someone's name, whether it is a common one to me or not. I will sometimes go months without knowing a person's name, even though I see them regularly. This mostly just happens with adults, and I feel ridiculous saying "Remind me of your name, again." I guess it's the next thing I need to work on.
I am proud to say that I have always tried to pronounce people's names correctly. Since I teach in the Library, I see every one of our 440+ students every week. I keep an updated roster for every class, and there is a space next to every name for notes I jot down. Whenever we get a new student, I ask them to say their own name for me, and I repeat it back to them, asking if I got it right. I try a couple of times to make sure I have it. I also ask what they like to be called, even if it is a name like Nicholas or Amanda. I never assume anyone wants their name shortened. (My son likes Nicholas or Nick, but my daughter would take your head off if you called her Mandy:) I then jot down any nickname they tell me, and the phonetic spelling (or accented syllables) for their names.
Another part of my job is producing our school's daily news broadcast. Fifth graders announce every student's birthday on air. I demand that the kids practice the names until they can say them correctly, and I teach them how to spell names phonetically on the script. Sometimes I need to correct them during a live broadcast because I believe it is that important.
My bigger problem is when I can't remember someone's name, whether it is a common one to me or not. I will sometimes go months without knowing a person's name, even though I see them regularly. This mostly just happens with adults, and I feel ridiculous saying "Remind me of your name, again." I guess it's the next thing I need to work on.