A lot!

Use your students’ names as much as possible. A person’s name is his or her favorite word. It brings great pleasure when he or she hears it. The more you say a student’s name, the stronger your relationship will become with that student.

Here is a game you can play to practice this idea. Make a list of ten action words. Write each one on a separate index card. Then have students take turns picking cards and doing the actions. Each time a student picks a card, say the student’s name and then ask him or her to do the action. Here are some examples:

“Isabelle, jump ten times.

“Rebecca, walk across the room.”

“Joshua, do ten jumping-jacks?”

“Monique, point to your nose.”

Insight…

This is a “back-to-school” friend-making” idea. Teach your students to say their friends’ names as much as possible. Saying a name has its own way of showing interest. When you show interest in someone else, they usually show interest back to you.