I’ve learned the names of thousands of students over my 22 years of teaching. There’s something very powerful about being able to call someone by their name, to recognize them. As a teacher, this was crucial, especially to know who to “call out” for behavior that was not appropriate, to know who was or wasn’t present or sitting in their assigned seat, to be able to talk to colleagues about students who needed help, to greet students by name in the halls, at lunch, at athletics, performances, or other events. To know someone’s name is a powerful thing, to recognize them, to see them and to acknowledge them.

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