This is my 13th year of teaching. Here it is, late October, and I STILL haven't managed to learn everyone's name. This has never happened before. I'm not having problems with any other part of my memory (that I know of). I'm 39 years old -- could this just be part of the aging process? Or something scary, like early-onset Alzheimer's?
2007-10-20 05:50:05 · 11 answers · asked by Skepticat 6 in Health ➔ Mental Health
I'm in my 28th year of college teaching, and I am having the same problem. I think it is because after teaching for so many years, I have seen so many "Heathers" and " Toms" , etc., that a student's name is no longer a reliable peg on which to hang a visual memory. I even find myself thinking, "if that's your name, then you shouldn't look like that!" based on my past associations with names. I have talked to colleagues, and many of them also say that this gets harder the longer they teach. You are not alone.
2007-10-20 06:24:37 · answer #1 · answered by Michael M 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
After you check your eating and general health out you may want to see if it is a mental issue you have with knowing them and letting them go. (teaching 13 years is alot of loss of kids you care about)
Your hormone levels could be messed up and causing some minor changes in short term memory.(Something your dctor can check)
Make a list or your eating habits and sleep for the next two weeks. And mark down any stress of the day in a journal as well.
If you think it is mental you could allways shake things up a bit in class. Take a short time to do something new wth them. A name game could help lol.
2007-10-20 06:05:52 · answer #2 · answered by charontheloose 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have the SAME problem when I go to Toastmasters meetings.... Why don't you take home a student's names list and study it for a few minutes @ nite until you got it..?? I do that for my Toastmasters meetings CAUSE we constantly have new members joining/leaving/quitting.... guests... it ALWAYS throws me off when I go there after a long day @ work... I'll see an old member who comes to a meetin & HASN'T been to one for like 8 months or so....
2007-10-20 07:35:32 · answer #3 · answered by FLOSS 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My college teachers only have about 13 of us all day and they still get my name wrong. I am even confused with other students. Don't feel bad. I never held it against my teachers, I knew they had lives and didn't have to remember everything.
2007-10-20 05:58:35 · answer #4 · answered by Christa K 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think it is a sign of overload. Stress gets all of us at one time or another. It sure knocks on my door a lot these days! You are fine. Take some time to relax your memory and do something for yourself. Take care and the best to you and your career.
2007-10-20 06:00:04 · answer #5 · answered by . 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe your students just aren't very memorable? lol. No i think you're fine, i still have teachers that don't know everyones name quite yet. Give it another month or so.
2007-10-20 05:53:41 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
lolz, i promise just give it some time. like, its just like all the students will know the other student names by heart in 3 to 4 months.
2007-10-20 07:29:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not all my teachers have memorized my name either...its ok..My teachers don't allow us to switch seats alot so i think if your students stay in the same place then you'll get used to their names more.
2007-10-20 05:58:51 · answer #8 · answered by Jasmine 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe their names are just harder to remember...we have a lot of kids now from other countries. It is easy to remember Joe or Katy or Samantha..but some,,say Mexican, names, are hard to remember.
2007-10-20 06:45:14 · answer #9 · answered by dreamdress2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
mid life crisis
2007-10-20 07:19:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋