HIT,ELEM: Getting to know students' names

[Tanya Dillon <dillonta@RT66.COM>]

     Thanks so much to all of you who responded to my questions
regarding learning students' names and how/where to keep library cards
and easily perform check-out.
    I have decided to use name tags for grades K-3 for the first month
or two. (I will probably employ the help of their classroom teachers for
this.  I imagine the music teacher, art teacher, etc. may want to use
the same name tags.) I plan to play a variety of games and activities
suggested below to help learn their names and get to know some of their
individual interests.  With the older students, I am going to try to
think of some creative activities they can work on in pairs during the
first month or two.  These will require introducing their partner,
talking about books they've read, movies seen, etc. and presenting the
project I assigned them.  This will give me a chance to talk to some of
the pairs individually and take time to learn their names as they are
presenting.  If they can't handle this type of activity, then I'll
probably use a seating chart at the beginning of the year. In addition,
I plan to  take my own classroom pictures with a digital camera (one
entire class at a time, not individual pictures) during the first week
of school so I can get faster results and start the memorization process
a little earlier.  When I display their work in the glass case in front
of the library, I will also place the class's picture with it.  I think
the kids will like to see themselves as they walk down the hall.
    As far as library cards and checking out go, I have decided against
using posters with pockets on the front (too much work).  I'll use the
method suggested by several librarians in this HIT: Place cards for each
class together and put them together in a box.  Spread the cards out
when each class arrives, and the children pick out their cards when they
come up to the desk to check out.  When kids come individually without
their classes or teachers, the student scan tell me their full names and
I'll enter them into the computer and check them out without digging out
their card.  This will be one more way to help me learn their names!
     Thanks so much for all of your contributions!  I hope some of you
find this information useful.
Tanya Dillon
School Librarian
Painted Sky Elementary
Albuquerque, NM
dillonta@rt66.com
*****
It's no small feat to learn all those names!  I'm starting in a new
school this year, so I'm in the same boat!  In the past, I've used
silly games like the student telling me their name and a food they
like that begins with the same letter.  After about 5-10 kids
(depending on my mental state), I try to repeat what they've told me.
The students giggle a lot and like the fact that a grown-up makes so
many mistakes!  But I do think it has helped me learn!
*****
No ideas for helping to learn the kids' names, but here's what I can say

about check-out.  At our k-8 school, we do not have library cards.  For
grades k-5, we make up a sheet with student name, number, and barcode
for each class.  When students come in as a class, each says or points
to his or her name on the sheet so that items can be checked out.  When
they come without a class or from grades 5-8, they give student numbers;

those that forget these, give names.  No posters with pockets necessary
(saves work).
  That said, I will tell you that this year for K, I plan to have each
child decorate a shelf marker, put his/her barcode and name on it, and
laminate it.  Then I'll use it for check-out after it's been used as a
shelf marker that period.  I'll keep these rubber-banded by class at the

circulation desk.
*****
Tanya, I don't think you'll have any problem displaying kids photos in a

classroom setting. Teachers do that all the time. It's displaying them
on the web that causes such controversy.

Your idea about the posterboard is one that a lot of folks seem to use.
Where were you planning to get pictures? If you have access to a digital

camera, it would be cool to take their pix in your first session and
print the pic with their name to attach to the front of the pocket.
*****
I don't have any specific suggestions for you for remembering names, but
I can
tell you from experience that learning 750 names takes a long time.  I
teach
computer skills to 750 kids in two K-8 schools and it took me most of
last
year (my first in the job) to learn everyone's name.  I think I'll just
go the
laminated-nametag-color-coordinated-assigned-seats route because I just
hate
to point to a child in recognition without knowing their names.  If you
get
any good ideas, please pass them along.
Fortunately, a teacher does get to know 750 kids quite well during the
course
of the school year, even if name recognition isn't perfect.  Even though
I see
each child once a week (or as at one of the schools, once every two
weeks) I
was able to bond and form relationships with most of them.  So don't be
discouraged by the numbers.  And if someone exclaims "You have 750
students--how do you do it?!" , just say "Not all at once!"
*****
Tanya, take some consolation in the thought that this year will be
hardest.  Every succeeding year will be much easier because you will
only have to learn the Kindergartners.  On the first day the class comes
to me I go over the roll with the whole class.  It is important to me to
look at the names in print as well as hearing them say their name.  It
takes time, but the kids appreciate your learning their names.  One
little first grader one year upbraided our computer teacher because she
didn't learn all the kids names "like the library teacher."  The
computer teacher came stomping down to the library to tell me about it,
expecting to hear me say, "Oh, I don't really learn all their names; I
just fake it."  When she came in I was dismissing a class of first
graders by calling each student by his/her name as they left (another
good practice).  She and I had a good laugh.
    One nice trick is to give the class two minutes to get to know whom
they are sitting beside, and have each student then say, "I'm John Doe,
and this is my friend Jane Smith who likes the color red."  You have to
give them a limited number of things to tell that they like:  colors or
food work well.  Then you say, "Pleased to meet you Jane Smith.
     Seating charts don't work very well because the kids forget from
week-to-week where they are supposed to sit.  I encourage them for the
first few weeks to sit in different places  so that I learn their
face--not their place.  I ask them not to change shirts, however.
(Just joking)
     Be sure to wear a name tag yourself for at least six weeks.  Since
the kids don't see you EVERY day, you want to make it as easy as
possible for them to remember your name too.
    As for cards:  I keep each class' cards in a Rubbermaid rectangular
box, stacked behind my desk.  Each box is labeled on the end and top
with the teacher's last name.  When a class comes in, I reach behind me
for the right box, open it, and scatter the cards on the desk.  As the
kids check out they pick up their card, check out, and then drop it back
in the box.  I can tell immediately when time is up, who hasn't checked
out.  When kids come in individually, I just check out by typing in
their last name quickly.  Most regular independent customers learn their
numbers quickly.
    Pictures on the cards aren't necessary, since each kid can pick out
his own name (hopefully).
*****
Learning 750 names is quite difficult.  Please give yourself time.  You
probably won't do it all in just one school year, but you will make
progress.
When I began my new job 4 years ago, I introduced myself to the
primary-age
classes by explaining one reason why I was picked to work in the
library:  I
like books!  I used this little song (can't remember where I found it):
     I like books! (point to yourself)
     I like books!  (point again)
     Books about people, books about animals
     Tall books, small books (use hands to show how tall and how small)
     I like books (nod head, point, etc.)

It's sort of the tune to "Three Blind MIce" but you can make up your
own.
After the kids knew the tune and words, I asked if there was any one
else in
the class who liked books.  You'll get volunteers.  We then sang the
song to
each, substituting their name for "I."  The kids just glow when the
whole
class is singing to them.  I kept a check list of who we had sung to (I
wasn't
able to sing to everyone individually in one session) until we had sung
to
each class member.  It helped me to learn names and was such a positive
message to the little ones.

*****
 What I have found very helpful is to use a "Hap Palmer" record with the

younger students called "Getting to Know Myself"  It has a song called
the
Name game that has a call and chant pattern where students say their
names
when pointed to.  I use a teddy bear puppet which seems to make it less
threatning for the kinder and 1st grade.  For 2nd and 3rd I use a soft
yarn
ball which we toss around the circle at each other and you have to step
forward and say someone in the circles name and then throw the ball to
them.  Before we start playing we go around the circle several times
with
the students saying their names.  The older students tend to know each
other's name while the younger students need help leaarning the other
names
also.  For 4th and 5th I have the students complete an interest survey
and
use some of the results to play class bingo.  Students sign their name
in
the space that matches a summer activity or interest that they have.
This
also helps them do something active while they are adjusting to being
back
in school.
    I have assigned seats in the library and each table is assigned a
color.  I then have a page of card stock that I have outlined in that
color
with 4 library card pockets on it-4 students are seated at each table.
These are laminated and I write the names on the pockets with marker
that
can be changed-due to the high mobility of the school.  These "pages"
are
then placed in a 3 ring notebook that if color coded by grade level.
(K-red,
1-blue, 2-orange, etc.)  These are placed on a book cart by the library
entrance so that students can come in and check in and out indepently.
I
tried the poster board method the 1st year I was at this school and it
was
hard for the students use independently.
    I hope I have explained this so that you can understand what I mean.

This system has evolved over the last several years and has worked well
for
me and my students.
*****
This is going to be my first year too!  At our school we have little
plastic baskets for each class (we are going to have 1500 students next
year, about 70 classes), and keep the cards in there. My clerk says the
system works, so I'm going to try it this year. If you have space for
all those poster boards I think your system would work... do you think
the pockets would tear with all the use of a card coming in and out over

the year?
*****
I love your idea of the kids pictures on the pockets!  It took me
forever to learn the 970 students names when I was in elem!  Since I
didn't do check out I rarely had the chance to learn them and it was so
slow!  A plus for anyone who checks out!
*****
All of your ideas sound very good :)  I do have a couple of suggestions
on creating the
"pocket charts" though, if you want them, as I've done something like
this before.

In our elementary media centers, in the days before automation, we used
to have a pocket
chart for each class and every student had a pocket on the chart.  The
student would put
the circulation cards from the book he/she signed out in their pocket
which made it VERY
easy to see who had what book and for the students to sign out and check
in their own
books.  Anyway...here's what I learned about making pocket charts....

It takes a LONG time to make each chart and if you are making dozens of
them you might
wonder what you were thinking of when you decided to do so :)  After the
first year I
got smarter....

We used *heavy* poster board and stuck on enough pockets to accommodate
the largest
class imaginable.  I also added one colorful sticker to each pocket,
trying to use a
very wide variety of stickers, so that it would be even easier for the
child to find
his/her pocket.  Then before doing anything else, I had them laminated.
After
laminating, I slit each pocket open and used a permanent marker to write
each child's
name on a pocket and to write the teacher's name at the top of the
poster board.  When a
child moved away, I used fingernail polish remover to erase his/her
name.  When a child
moved in, I just added his/her name to an unused pocket.  At the end of
the year, we
used fingernail polish remover to erase all of the names so we could use
the same pocket
charts the next year.  This of course won't work if you decide to put
photos of the
students on the pockets (which is a great idea but you'll have to make
all of these
charts again a year from now).

Once the pocket charts were finished, we taped a heavy duty metal
clothes hanger to the
back of each chart and hung them all on a chart stand.  When each class
arrived I moved
that chart to a table and students filed by, took their book circ card
out of their
pocket, put it in their returned book, and put it on the shelving cart.
The chart rack
full of pocket charts stayed near the circ desk so even the 1st graders
could locate
their own pocket when they came individually to check out books.
*****
I also have a problem with children's names (especially the ones I don't
have
to get on all the time!), so I hope you post a hit on responses to
this problem.  As to the library card question, however, I don't use
them.  You didn't mention whether you used automated circulation or
not, but I am assuming you do (since cards are pretty irrelevant for
elementary schools who aren't automated).  I don't use cards at all;
what I have, in grades 1-6, is assigned seating and seating charts.  I
keep a notebook with a page for each class, but instead of just
writing names on the chart, I put their bar code label at their
assigned place.  It also helps me to learn their names.
*****
Last year was my first
year working in a school library.  We have about 670 children
Pre k-5 at my school.  I don't have any ideas for you to help
in learning all those names, but I do have a suggestion about
their library cards.  We use alexandria at my school and it
will print a page of classroom barcodes with each child's name
and barcode.  My assistant found this method very difficult
because after the third or fourth class all the barcodes just
started running together.  And when it was busy it was hard to
tell if you had scanned the correct barcode.

We decided to cut the barcodes out and make a "library card"
for each student.  We use a small file on the circulation desk
and we file the cards by class and then by the order that the
class comes to the library.  We did not invest in expensive
cards because the children find a way to loose their cards even
in the library.
*****

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