Want a quick hack for engaging students, creating a warm classroom climate, and building connections with your learners? Use their names! Taking the time to learn them and pronounce them correctly can make a big impact on the student experience in a classroom. While Brightspace makes it easy by just using the placeholder {FirstName} in tools like Announcements and module descriptions, this is a little trickier for in-person classes. I make a seating chart and try to say every student’s name at least three times in the first class meeting. Check out Michelle Miller’s book, A Teacher’s Guide to Learning Student Names, for more ideas. ~Anne Fensie
