What’s in a Name? The Power of Knowing Each Student
Before my first year as head of school in August 2017, I decided to put “Carline” on my calendar as a recurring appointment from 7:45-8:15 every day. It seemed simple, a half hour each day, greeting as many students by name as possible, yet it became so much more. Each child had distinct ways of greeting me—handshakes, hugs, or high fives–and approaching me, some were full of life, several were painfully shy, one had daily jokes, another shared a weekend review, and one consistently proposed an educator-student switch day. Each of these individual interactions captivated and rejuvenated me as I engaged in the new head of school experience.
Now, eight and a half years later, I continue to make as many carlines as possible, making sure that I acknowledge each student by name and demonstrate that I value each of them as individuals. This effort now extends past 7:45-8:15 each morning, as I commit to knowing every student’s name. I study our photo roster, testing myself photo by photo, name by name, then I visit classes to learn new students and reinforce my knowledge by attending as many field trips, performances, and sporting events as possible.
All of these strategies help, but the true trick is using students’ names every time I see them. This serves two purposes: it helps me retain their names, but more importantly, it reminds the student that I know and care for them. The simple act of using a name is powerful in terms of human connection. I commit to using each student’s name because it matters that the students know they matter.
This year, with Shaun Satterfield covering the Ellsworth Gate some mornings, I have floated to other areas of campus, greeting students getting off the bus or coming in the First Avenue and Clermont Gates. I enjoy re-encountering those students who have matured so much since I used to greet them at Ellsworth. In fact, some of the current eighth graders were the same kindergarten students who received my first greetings way back in 2017.
Aside from the energy these encounters provide, they also give me purpose. They remind me that I need to do all I can as a school leader to create a learning environment where students feel known. Yes, greeting students by their names is only a small step toward that goal, but it is an important step symbolically. To me, it represents the kindness, civility, and face-to-face connection that is so critical in the world today. It is a reminder of what we must provide for every student—the opportunity to feel belonging, and thereby, the opportunity to thrive.
This effort at Graland, of course, goes way beyond my carline greetings, as evidenced by several articles in this issue of “Graland Today.” It is woven into our program from Lower School to Middle School. In Lower School, as part of the Responsive Classroom program, students participate in morning and closing circles. During these meetings, a kindergartener might share a story from the weekend: how their dog snuck into their room last night, how they scored 27 goals during their soccer game, or how they got to ski with poles for the first time. These moments are important for teachers to discover more about their students’ lives outside of school, deepening their understanding of each student as a person. During the rest of the day, teachers will learn more and more about their students as learners. Knowing them fully as people and as learners is critical to setting them up for success, intellectually and social-emotionally.
This intentional act of knowing a child fully, year after year, culminates in Middle School, as the structure is purposefully designed to know children. Each math, English, science, and history (MESH) teacher in the Middle School is devoted to a single grade level, and these teachers are joined by four additional advisors from other disciplines to complete each grade-level team. These teams dedicate themselves to 72 students, participating in extracurriculars and chaperoning trips. They have regularly scheduled meetings, called “kid talks,” that allow these teams to share what they know about individual students, all in an effort of knowing their students even better. This year, the Middle School added another tactic called “relationship mapping,” ensuring that every student had a trusted relationship with at least one adult on campus.
The final culmination of this journey occurs at Graland’s graduation, when the eighth-grade advisors give their individual advisees a short personal citation and a book chosen specifically for them. This year, when I shake this class of eighth graders’ hands on that graduation stage, I will think of that first day of school in 2017 and feel the poignancy of our relationship coming full circle from handshake to handshake. As I congratulate them by name, I will reflect on how important it is to be known. Being known leads to belonging, and with belonging, we can achieve our mission, setting up our graduates to thrive with intellectual excellence and strong character.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
