Nicknames affect students’ self-esteem
Jun 02, 2009
YOUR PLATFORM<br><br>OVER the years, I have learnt to be careful about which name to address my students. In the past, I had a strategy of making some fun in my lessons to keep students alert. And one of my techniques was to tease students who see
YOUR PLATFORM
OVER the years, I have learnt to be careful about which name to address my students. In the past, I had a strategy of making some fun in my lessons to keep students alert. And one of my techniques was to tease students who seemed to be dozing by calling them ‘fake’ names such as ‘Nakimwero.’
I would use sarcasm to ridicule students with rather unacceptable behaviour. Of course, their colleagues would laugh at such remarks.
It was not until I learnt that in my new class, one of the girls was actually called Nakimwero. When I uttered the name, all the students laughed because to them, it has a residual meaning of being lousy. I realised I had blundered. I had to tag my own name on to the list of “funny†names to identify with this girl so that she could keep active in class.
Some names actually make learners spend their school life feeling inferior hence ending up as social back benchers in future.
Anonymous
OVER the years, I have learnt to be careful about which name to address my students. In the past, I had a strategy of making some fun in my lessons to keep students alert. And one of my techniques was to tease students who seemed to be dozing by calling them ‘fake’ names such as ‘Nakimwero.’
I would use sarcasm to ridicule students with rather unacceptable behaviour. Of course, their colleagues would laugh at such remarks.
It was not until I learnt that in my new class, one of the girls was actually called Nakimwero. When I uttered the name, all the students laughed because to them, it has a residual meaning of being lousy. I realised I had blundered. I had to tag my own name on to the list of “funny†names to identify with this girl so that she could keep active in class.
Some names actually make learners spend their school life feeling inferior hence ending up as social back benchers in future.
Anonymous