It is common you walk into class on the first day of a new semester and see 20 faces, all unrecognizable. It is also quite common you walk out on the last day, still knowing none of the other students names. That is certainly not the case in Beth McCoy’s section of INTD 105.
Last semester, I did not have a single professor that was this eager to learn my name. This never bothered me, the fact that maybe two of my professors could match my name to my face, until this semester. One of my professors, who wanted to learn everyone’s name, would call attendance everyday. There happened to be another “Theresa” in the class who came before me alphabetically. Each day when the professor reached me, she would address me as the “other Theresa”. This would not have upset me if I were not also in Beth’s class, where she puts so much emphasis on making sure everyone feels like their own individual, whose voice is important.
You may have read my fellow classmates, John or Hannah’s posts, where they talk about how they appreciate Beth’s name games. What seemed useless to us all in the beginning is now making a breakthrough. We are all seeing changes in our discussion and we are recognizing each other’s thoughts and opinions. It is so nice to see a professor that wants to create a welcoming environment where we can not only learn, but more importantly, grow as individuals.