How to create mnemonics and finally remember students’ names

By Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

Names are important for us and for our students. But they’re SO hard to remember.

Introduction

In her article How to Create Mnemonics and Finally Remember Students’ Names, Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D., shares a practical, research-informed approach to learning and remembering students’ names—an essential yet challenging aspect of building classroom community. With over 80 students each semester, Agarwal explains how she reliably memorizes nearly all their names within a week without relying on outdated or blurry learning management system (LMS) photos. Her method integrates mnemonic devices, retrieval practice, and student involvement, fostering both connection and recall.

Step 1: Create Mnemonics

Agarwal begins by having students link their first name to an animal or food starting with the same letter—such as Ava-Avocado, Nick-Narwhal, or Daniel-Dragon. Students introduce themselves with this pairing and share additional personal details, like their favorite TV show or least favorite ice cream flavor. These concrete connections form the foundation for memory cues.

She also gathers these details through tools like Google Forms, Padlet, or the LMS before the first day, allowing her to identify shared interests and unique facts. For example, discovering that a student likes Schitt’s Creek or shares her Illinois hometown provides immediate conversation starters and relationship-building opportunities. Mnemonics thus serve a dual purpose: they aid memory and spark interpersonal connections.

Step 2: Get Students Involved

From the outset, Agarwal makes name learning a collaborative process. Students go around the room sharing their name, noun pairing, and least favorite ice cream flavor, helping each other create and reinforce mnemonics. During discussions, she uses the name-noun pair—“Thanks for sharing, Ava-Avocado”—to reinforce memory.

If she forgets a name, she asks classmates for a hint using the noun rather than the name, modeling how retrieval cues work. This fosters a classroom culture where forgetting is normalized and retrieval practice is valued. Agarwal also discusses the science of memory and retrieval practice, framing mistakes as a natural part of learning.

Reinforcement Strategies

To strengthen recall, Agarwal recommends several follow-up activities:

• Brain Dump: After class, write down as many student names as possible, with or without mnemonics.

• Student Recall Exercise: In a later class, have students write down all names they can remember and discuss what cues helped them most.

• Noun-Name Tag: For smaller classes (20 or fewer), play a “popcorn” game where one student calls out another’s name-noun pairing, continuing until all have been named.

These activities turn name learning into a shared, interactive experience, reinforcing recall for both teacher and students.

The Role of Retrieval Practice

Agarwal emphasizes that retrieval practice—actively recalling information rather than re-reading it—is key to retention. By repeatedly using and prompting recall of name-noun pairings, she applies the same learning science principles she advocates in her broader teaching. Mistakes are reframed as opportunities for further learning, reducing performance pressure while increasing long-term recall.

Conclusion

Learning student names quickly is more than a memory exercise—it’s a powerful tool for building trust, fostering a sense of belonging, and strengthening the classroom community. Agarwal’s mnemonic-based, collaborative approach creates a playful, low-stakes environment that encourages both teacher and students to invest in learning each other’s names. By combining personalization, shared responsibility, and retrieval practice, educators can overcome the challenge of name recall and lay the groundwork for meaningful relationships from day one.

Original Article

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com