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I have the students write their names on name cards and then we all take a group picture with the name cards, so I can look at their faces as I read their introductory paragraph they post in discussion board, day 1.

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Learning students names (P. Gus VanderWegen)

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Learning students names (P. Gus VanderWegen)

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I use Excel to make a seating chart and I highlight each student as they arrive. I make a point of using their name and talking to all those who arrive early. There are several students who arrive up to an hour early for class so I try to open the classroom as soon as I can. The best discussions often happen before the class starts so I try to be prepared and have the computer set to go well before the class starts. The engineering students often work together on projects so I often find out if someone is running late or not showing up from one of their friends. The learners needing accommodation are often the ones who show up extra early.

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For me, it's really hard to learn student names when I can't see them in person! So for the online class I'm going to try printing out the photo roster with some space for notes. Then as students post their intro discussions and introduce themselves, I'll start to fill in notes on them such as where they live and hobbies they have and what majors/research interests they have! When I'm in person, I use sign-in sheets to learn more about my students. Each class day they sign in the roster by replying to the question of the day (what's your favorite color/food, if you could only eat/drink one thing for the rest of your life what would it be, etc.). These help me get to know students!

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Learning Students Names - Nicole Dowland

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Learning Students Names - Nicole Dowland

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I'm really bad with names, so I can use all the suggestions for this.

My students are given an assignment a few weeks into the class which is to take a photograph of themselves using their camera's self-timer. I've decided to move that assignment to week 1 or 2 so that I can collect the photos and place them with in a document next to their names and refer to it when I'm going through class materials. This helps me learn their names more quickly.

I do the roll-call the first few weeks and hand assignments back individually, but it is still difficult for me to remember everyone.

If we're forced to move online, I'm planning a one-on-one critique for one of the early assignments so I can meet with the students individually to try to get to know them better.

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Learning Students Names-  Sneha Varghese

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Learning Students Names-  Sneha Varghese

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I like to play 'Class Bingo" the first few weeks of class.  I make a traditional  Bingo card, with 5 columns and 5 rows with a free space in the center. In the other spaces, I capture something the student shared about themselves such as, “plays the guitar,” “loves to skateboard,” or “can speak more than one language.” Students then go around the room, finding classmates who fit the traits. The first person to mark off all the traits on the Bingo card is the “winner.”
I also do a Roll call in the beginning of every class. It helps to put the names with faces and reinforces the student names. I also have a seating chart ready for the first few weeks of class.

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Learning students' names - Marie Green Ganser

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Learning students' names - Marie Green Ganser

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Because my entire first week of class revolves around the lesson "Getting to Know You", learning students' names is facilitated through the lesson plan.  Some of my students have names that are difficult to pronounce and that often gives me trouble but they are patient with me and we laugh about it.  One method I find absolutely invaluable is the practice of using name cards.  This helps me two ways;  I can see the student's name when I look at where they are seated and when I collect the name cards I know who has been to class.
I often have students compliment (or thank me) for knowing everyone's name. I know it is a VERY important way to honor, acknowledge and respect each individual.

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When I first started teaching, I has a hard time learning students names. After I started the following, things got better:
1. I would have the students to pair up with a person that they don't know (or not close buddies with).
2. I give them five minutes to learn about each other.
3. We go around the room and the students introduce each other and tells the class what they learned about the other person.
4. After I pair goes, I repeat the name and the information for both students. ex. Bob- likes to ride bikes and went to Great Wolf Lodge this summer. Sally- Paints and like ballet...
5. This is where it gets increasingly more difficult... but fun.... I do that while adding the the next group to the list... SO after Bob and Sally, I add the next... then the next  goes and I say all three groups etc.... etc.. until however long it takes to do everyone in the room.
It takes time but it is fun while we all are learning around each other.

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I used to struggle with learning student names and have adopted two things that seem to help:
1.  I collect and grade homework and also give a quiz early in the semester. I make a point to hand assignments back to each individual student, saying their name as I go.  By the third week, I can place the homework in their places in the class and use that to double-check attendance.
2. I hand out cards on the first day of class and ask the students to give me their name, what they are studying and ask them to tell me anything else they would like to share about themselves. I study the cards and try to picture a face with each card.

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Connecting with our students-Betty Slinger

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Connecting with our students-Betty Slinger

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Something I think I will try next semester when we are online-only is I will schedule a time for a webex meeting with each student if I have not met them already in my virtual office hours. To see if they have any specific considerations or get an idea of their background.

Additionally, I always do a "get to know you" questionairre at the beginning of the semester. This really helps me to udnerstand their backgrounds and other things going on in their life that may affect how much they can focus on the course.

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I usually learn everyone's name within the first 2 weeks. What helps me is having them do assignments and then when I hand them back to the students I can get to know a name to a face.

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Two practices help me learn students names remarkably quickly for an aging instructor with 5000+ former students under his belt:

1) I make a seating chart based on where students sit on the first day and ask them to continue sitting in those seats for the first two weeks.  Before and during class during those two weeks I refer to the seating chart and scan the students faces briefly between moments where I'm teaching and otherwise interacting with them.  when folks raise their hands to ask questions, I have that seating chart with me and call on them by name.
2) I collect and grade assignments every day during the first two weeks. After entering grades on my spreadsheet, I sort the papers for handing back in order based on the seating chart, giving me another opportunity to address the chart, try and put faces to the names, begin memorizing who sits by whom, etc.

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I usually know all students names by the second week of class. On the first day of class I take attendance manually, rather than a sign in sheet, and do this for each class period. Also on the first day, I ask students to introduce themselves by name and share why they are taking the class. Anytime a student has a question, they need to state their name. At the end of the class I identify as many students by name as possible. Also, if there are 2 lab sections, I am able to refocus on learning names  in a smaller setting. These practices allow me to know every name by the end of week 2. I have often had students  tell me how impressed they were with how quickly I learned their names. I must admit, I'm not sure how easy this would be in a class larger than 30 students!
Diane Carey