Understanding students on a personal level is important for instructors and students. When instructors take the time to know their students, it creates a more supportive and effective learning environment. By gathering information about students’ backgrounds, interests, and accessibility needs, instructors can design courses that accommodate diverse learners. Knowing about students’ identities, prior knowledge, and learning preferences allows instructors to tailor their teaching strategies effectively. Early pre-course surveys help build rapport and trust, as students feel seen and valued. This positive relationship enhances participation, motivation, and academic performance. Research supports these practices, emphasizing student-instructor interaction and the impact of these relationships on student engagement and success.

Resources

The article “First Day Info Sheets: A Tool to Prompt Semester-Long Inclusive Teaching,” by Tess L. Killpack and Laverne C. Melon provides a set of prompts and suggested steps to encourage and facilitate faculty use of info-sheets as a valuable tool to inform semester-long inclusive teaching efforts.

The “Who’s in Class?” form was developed in collaboration with students, faculty, and staff at Lafyette College and was featured in Inside Higher Education and the book What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Effectiveness in College Teaching.

These additional web resources provide tips and best practices to get to know your students:

• “Getting to Know Your Students,” on the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Instructional Moves website
• “Assessing Student Needs in Your Course,” on Vanderbilt University’s Online Course Development Resources website
• “Developing a Pre-Course Survey,” from Yale University’s Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning
• “Get to Know Your Students As Individuals,” from Carnegie Mellon University’s Eberly Center
• “Student Questionnaires,” from Kent State University’s Center for Teaching and Learning

Saying Student Names

When instructors know students’ names, it fosters a sense of belonging and community in the classroom. Students feel valued and more comfortable participating in discussions and seeking help. Additionally, knowing names encourages students to be accountable for their learning. It positively impacts their attitudes toward the course and improves their performance.

The following are a few helpful tips and tools:

• Name tents. Provide small tents with students’ names during the first class. Address them by name as you move around the room.
• Learning names. Focus on those who actively participate, visit during office hours, or communicate with you. Some of our instructors print out and study their roster from Canvas.
• NameShouts. This web app provides audio pronunciations for over 360,000 names in 21 languages. You can search for a name and listen to its correct pronunciation.
• HowtoPronounce.com. This easy-to-learn online tool allows you to find audios and videos contributed by the community to learn how to pronounce celebrity names, baby names, and more.
• PronounceNames.com. This website offers guides and videos on how to pronounce names phonetically.