Regarding the above article about recognition difficulties ... the below is from Stanford University. There are a number of suggestions about what people can do to improve their recognition skills. It relates specifically to remembering people's names ... but the
skills are transferable:
Learning Students Names
Teachers who are slow in learning the names of their students often tend to be rated as uninspired and uninspiring. Teachers cannot claim to be concerned about how well their students learn if they themselves do not
try as hard as they can to show they care about one of the most important possessions anyone can have in a mass civilization: a face and a name. This article goes over several ways to quickly learn student’s names. The author recommends that you try out several of these methods to find the one that works best for you.
Before Coming To Class, Read The Class Roster Several Times.
Focus on the last names and honorifics (Mr./Ms.). Memorize as many of them as you can. Then you can concentrate on looking for Williams and remembering what he or she looks like. At this point there is no need to focus on the first, or given names. That just increases memory burden without yielding initial benefits.
Provide A Student Survey During The First Class- On the first day give a brief survey that asks for a name and e-mail address (or favorite sport, etc.). Be sure to include an open-ended essay question about backgrounds and expectations. Allow students at least 15 minutes of writing time. While the students are busy writing,
study their faces, clothing styles, posture, or anything that you can use to personalize the individual student.
Set Up A Mnemonic Position Chart- The first row on your left "A", the second row, "B" and so on. Students often return to the same seat they sat in during the first class, (or somewhere close by). Then, starting with position "A1," ask the students to introduce themselves and say a few words about themselves and their expectations for the course. While listening as carefully as possible to what student "A1" is saying, find the name on the class roster and code "A1" next to it. Add any notes that might help you remember that student. During the next class, refer to your class roster and chart. (A variation of this is the Take A Digital Photo below)
Review- Before the second class meeting, review the surnames and the survey results and attempt to
recollect names, faces and places. Spend some time testing your knowledge of students' names: Which ones can you name? What are the names of those you cannot identify?
What identifiable characteristic will help you remember certain students?
Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning
http://ctl.stanford.edu
