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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

It’s ridiculous that teachers don’t know students’ names

49 replies

blondeness · 28/06/2019 07:24

DD (15) was having a chat with me today with a couple of her friends who were over about school and then one of them mentioned that their chemistry, French, Latin, English and maths teacher doesn’t know DS’ name and those teachers teach him too.

DD and friends are known by almost all teachers, probably all by this point in year 10 as her friendship group is very loud and some members can behave arrogantly towards members of staff. So I don’t have any concern with her- well over this issue anyway!

It’s her twin brother, DS, who is quiet but does answer questions and gets the work done. However, he is not known as much as DD, nor is he as ‘popular’.

AIBU to think that these teachers who see him multiple times a week (especially core subject teachers) should know his name and not have to look at the list of students with their pictures to identify him and his equally meek friends?

OP posts:

herculepoirot2 · 28/06/2019 07:28

If core subject teachers have taught him for the whole year they will know his name. Don’t believe everything you hear.

Angrybird123 · 28/06/2019 07:29

At one point in my career I taught 3 x yr7 classes, 3 x y8 classes and 3x y9 classes, all with 30 kids. I saw them once a fortnight. So no, I didn't know every one of them, even by this point, sorry. If you see them several times a week then yes but only maths and English are likely too.

CanILeavenowplease · 28/06/2019 07:31

I’m a teacher. I mix up my own children regularly. I’m not sure what chance I stand with the 200 + children that pass through my classroom each week!

The teacher is using the methods open to him/her to get names right when addressing the children they teach. What else do you expect?

IceRebel · 28/06/2019 07:31

Do you have any actual proof they don't know your DS and his friends names?

The more pressing problem seems to be that you know your DD can be arrogant toward members of staff, yet you have no problem with this.

MollyButton · 28/06/2019 07:34

Ridiculous, a teacher could easily see hundreds of kids especially if the school has a 2 week timetable.
I was cross when my DS's form teacher couldn't tell him from the other boy in his form with the same name... But Form teachers are supposed to know their form, and see them every day.

RedSkyLastNight · 28/06/2019 07:35

I would expect core subject teachers to know all their students by this stage in the year. Non core teachers may only see their students for 1 lesson a week and have lots of classes. It was quite clear that 1 non core teacher at DD's May parents evening had absolutely no idea who she was even after asking for her surname twice.

PotteringAlong · 28/06/2019 07:35

I teach approx 465 students a week.

I mix up my own children and there’s only 3 of them.

IHeartKingThistle · 28/06/2019 07:43

I'm a secondary teacher and I'm shit hot at names and I do think it's really important to know them. But I recognise that it's a very freaky and unusual skill I have - I can tell you every kid's name in a class by the end of my first lesson with them - and I'm aware that it doesn't actually make me a better teacher. Some people just find names really hard to remember. I can't remember numbers - I don't even know my bank account number. It's just one of those things.

I do agree that it's really important to kids though.

herculepoirot2 · 28/06/2019 07:45

Whereas I’m not great with names and have resorted to lots of little tricks in October when the school has helpfully scheduled Parents’ Evening, or in February when they have mixed up the sets mid-year AGAIN. It doesn’t make me a bad teacher, it just means I take a little longer to get to know the kids’ names.

cantfindname · 28/06/2019 07:53

I had 4 children and could rarely get the names right! They are grown up now and I still struggle... occasionally they get called 1,2,3 or 4!!

I wouldn't stand an ice cubes chance in hell of remembering the names of a whole class.

BookWitch · 28/06/2019 08:02

I am a supply teacher now, so I have zero chance at names, but teaching full time at a large secondary there can easily be 400+ students a week sat in front of you.
I remember names by context, eg I might remember a student sat in class, but not be able to retrieve his name from my memory if I meet out of the class with a different group of kids.

I have three dds of my own, usually get it right on the third go.

It's nothing personal, and in someways a compliment (I always know the trouble makers names within 10 mins - even on Supply)

YABU

BarbarianMum · 28/06/2019 08:02

Its not that ridiculous, some teachers will teach hundreds of students in a week. Ds1 has a very unusual name so teachers always know what it is, but if he has them once a week they may not know any more than that without checking their notes.
Ds2 is largely anonymous. As long as he's well taught I don't much care.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 28/06/2019 08:03

Secondary teacher here: I would know the names of my classes by this stage in the school year, no question.

It sounds much more likely that your DD and her friends are exaggerating for dramatic effect to create a distinction between how popular they are (the throwaway reference to "arrogant" is really telling - nothing worse for teachers than the loud cocky friendship group that thinks they're all that. I can absolutely guarantee your DS' teachers prefer him by far) and how overlooked he is.

SnowsInWater · 28/06/2019 08:03

It would be completely unacceptable at DD's school (secondary, not UK) for a teacher not to know the names of every student in their class.

herculepoirot2 · 28/06/2019 08:06

It would be completely unacceptable at DD's school (secondary, not UK) for a teacher not to know the names of every student in their class.

How many students to a class? How many lessons per fortnight? How often do classes change? You can’t compare unless you know other factors are the same.

CloserIAm2Fine · 28/06/2019 08:07

I wouldn’t take your DDs word for it anyway, how would she even know?!

Some people aren’t good with names, doesn’t mean they aren’t good teachers.

Honestly I would focus on your DDs attitude to teachers rather than some teachers possibly not knowing DS’s name!

herculepoirot2 · 28/06/2019 08:07

Have you ever considered that the monopolising of time and attention by some students, is what prevents teachers fully engaging with others?

MrPickles73 · 28/06/2019 08:09

I'd be more concerned about your daughter's behaviour...

CarrieBlu · 28/06/2019 08:10

Sounds like it’s your daughter who is the problem, not the teachers.

Where did this expectation for teachers to be superhuman and be able to remember everything and do everything perfectly all the time come from anyway?

Some parents need to get a grip and remember that they’re probably not bloody perfect in their jobs either.

And no, I’m not a teacher.

LynetteScavo · 28/06/2019 08:10

My friend who is a secondary teacher admitted to me she doesn't know all her students names...she seats them alphabetically and has a seating plan in front if her so it probably looks like she does.

The teachers and my D.Cs school definitely know all their names. The HT also does, and the staff know about the pupils too...who their siblings are, etc. But it's quite a small school.

Laurajjj · 28/06/2019 08:10

Give the teachers a break. Especially secondary school. It's not like primary school where they only have one class of 20 kids. They literally have 100s of kids each with names to remember.

WoollyMummoth · 28/06/2019 08:12

Haha you’re funny. If you worked with 250 kids a week all dressed in the same uniform with similar hair styles and features I’m sure you’d get their names right every time.

Quartz2208 · 28/06/2019 08:14

I agree with PP this sounds like your daughter and her friends are picking on her brother by bringing this up

trooooooo · 28/06/2019 08:18

After 6 months in his class, DD's geography teacher not only didn't know her name but didn't recognise her.

We sat in front of him at parents evening for him to say to her "who are you? You're not in my class are you?"

AngelsOnHigh · 28/06/2019 08:19

My 15 year old DGD has a "'very loud friendship group"' in one of her electives.
The teacher tends to hover around DGD's quiet group because he says the loud group give him a headache.

Luckily she is in the top accelerated classes for all her academic subjects and doesn't come across many high maintenance DC.

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