Names
I can't remember names. There, now it's out there. Everybody knows. Not that they didn't know already as they see me struggling to recall who they are when I'm standing right there talking to them. This is a problem as the most wonderful sound to a person's ear is their name.
A little background: I've spent my whole life with this issue. When I was a child, I would often forget my best friends name while he was playing with me. It was Mike, by the way. I struggled through school and life just simply trying to remember names. I tried most of the strategies recommended by the "pros" such as using a person name over and over when I first meet them, associating their name with some feature of their person, or writing it down immediately and then studying it for hours afterwards. These worked in some cases, yet the results always seemed to dissipate after a while. When I became a teacher, it was extremely difficult as I had to know the names of over a hundred people at a time. I used tricks to help me such as the seating chart. Students caught on after I was unable to recall their name outside of class. Occasionally, they would trick me and switch seats. Then, they would giggle under their breath as I called on the wrong people. After a while, they came to realize that I really did care about them and that I wasn't forgetting their names because they were not important to me. This brought me lots of forgiveness, especially after I started to explain to them that this was a real problem for me and asked them for their patience.
As a school administrator, this has been a major concern. When you have to call a child out, it is hard to do so when you can't remember their name. It also tends to lower one's self confidence when you can't remember names. It is embarrassing both for you and the other person.
Now, I need the reader to understand that, I don't just forget people that I meet in passing. I can also forget the names of people I work with every day, including those with offices right next door.
I've found that, if I have enough time, I can start reciting the alphabet in my head and usually come up with the person's name. This is hard, though, when you are in the middle of a conversation.
One of my goals this year is to find a method for recalling names quickly and use it until it becomes second nature. I've got some books on memory and will start this week.
Wish me luck, umm. What was your name again?
A little background: I've spent my whole life with this issue. When I was a child, I would often forget my best friends name while he was playing with me. It was Mike, by the way. I struggled through school and life just simply trying to remember names. I tried most of the strategies recommended by the "pros" such as using a person name over and over when I first meet them, associating their name with some feature of their person, or writing it down immediately and then studying it for hours afterwards. These worked in some cases, yet the results always seemed to dissipate after a while. When I became a teacher, it was extremely difficult as I had to know the names of over a hundred people at a time. I used tricks to help me such as the seating chart. Students caught on after I was unable to recall their name outside of class. Occasionally, they would trick me and switch seats. Then, they would giggle under their breath as I called on the wrong people. After a while, they came to realize that I really did care about them and that I wasn't forgetting their names because they were not important to me. This brought me lots of forgiveness, especially after I started to explain to them that this was a real problem for me and asked them for their patience.
As a school administrator, this has been a major concern. When you have to call a child out, it is hard to do so when you can't remember their name. It also tends to lower one's self confidence when you can't remember names. It is embarrassing both for you and the other person.
Now, I need the reader to understand that, I don't just forget people that I meet in passing. I can also forget the names of people I work with every day, including those with offices right next door.
I've found that, if I have enough time, I can start reciting the alphabet in my head and usually come up with the person's name. This is hard, though, when you are in the middle of a conversation.
One of my goals this year is to find a method for recalling names quickly and use it until it becomes second nature. I've got some books on memory and will start this week.
Wish me luck, umm. What was your name again?
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