Goal:
- Call students by the name they want to be called, creating a space where each individual’s identity is respected!
- We owe it to students to actually know their names and respect this part of who they are.
- Students will often deal with people pronouncing their names incorrectly because that is what they’re used to.
- This gives your students the impression that you truly care about them.
- It can be hard to figure out why we don’t know our students names or to learn to pronounce them correctly. Unfortunately, resisting to learn and to properly pronounce a student’s name can end up perpetuating racism in your school.
- Every day one of the most common, seemingly small aggressions students of color experience is being given nicknames they never asked for by teachers.
- Take the time to learn names.
- And apologize when you get names wrong.
- Find ways to practice to make sure you know every student's name and are able to pronounce it the way the student says it.