By — Kenya Downs Kenya Downs Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/why-getting-a-students-name-right-matters Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Why getting a student’s name right matters Education May 27, 2016 4:10 PM EDT Learning how to properly say a student’s name can have a lasting impact on his or her success, both within and outside the classroom. For many, especially minority, immigrant and English-learning students, having their names mispronounced or mocked can permanently sting. For our special Google Hangout on mispronouncing names, NewsHour Weekend anchor Hari Sreenivasan chatted with Education Week reporter Corey Mitchell. His story on student names ignited a flood of reactions from our online community. Rita Kohli, assistant professor at the University of California-Riverside, shared more about her research on the long-term, psychological harm to students whose names are constantly mispronounced. Hari also talked with Jon Gundry, superintendent of Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools on the “My Name, My Identity” campaign. It urges educators to take the pledge of correctly pronouncing student names and respecting their diverse cultures. Mariama Richards, director of progressive and multicultural education at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City, offered insight into why something as simple as correct pronunciation can positively impact learning for students in multicultural classrooms. Is your name unique or hard to pronounce? Did a teacher butchering or making fun of it have a lasting impact on you? Let us know! Share your experiences with NewsHour by telling us what you think on our social accounts including Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #ActuallyMyNameIs, as well as in the comments section below. By — Kenya Downs Kenya Downs Kenya Downs is the digital reporter and producer for PBS NewsHour’s Race Matters and education verticals, creating multimedia content for online and television centered on issues of race and social justice, including exploring the intersection of identity and culture with education reform and policy. Kenya also contributes content related to the Caribbean region for NewsHour's international coverage. She’s previously worked with National Public Radio, Al-Jazeera Media Network and CBS News. Kenya is a graduate of both Howard University and American University and is based in Washington, D.C. @LiveFromKenya
Learning how to properly say a student’s name can have a lasting impact on his or her success, both within and outside the classroom. For many, especially minority, immigrant and English-learning students, having their names mispronounced or mocked can permanently sting. For our special Google Hangout on mispronouncing names, NewsHour Weekend anchor Hari Sreenivasan chatted with Education Week reporter Corey Mitchell. His story on student names ignited a flood of reactions from our online community. Rita Kohli, assistant professor at the University of California-Riverside, shared more about her research on the long-term, psychological harm to students whose names are constantly mispronounced. Hari also talked with Jon Gundry, superintendent of Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools on the “My Name, My Identity” campaign. It urges educators to take the pledge of correctly pronouncing student names and respecting their diverse cultures. Mariama Richards, director of progressive and multicultural education at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City, offered insight into why something as simple as correct pronunciation can positively impact learning for students in multicultural classrooms. Is your name unique or hard to pronounce? Did a teacher butchering or making fun of it have a lasting impact on you? Let us know! Share your experiences with NewsHour by telling us what you think on our social accounts including Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #ActuallyMyNameIs, as well as in the comments section below.