When discussing their professors, students might commend lively lectures or innovative research, but more rarely do they cite a personal bond that developed over the course of the semester.
But professors at universities nationwide are attempting to change this through a basic, yet surprisingly effective gesture: making it a priority to learn their students' names and faces.
Sam Sommers, an assistant professor of psychology at Tufts, applauded the development of this phenomenon, but explained that the effort isn't always made.
In his sixth year of teaching at Tufts, Sommers said it has always been important to him to learn his students' names, regardless of class size.
"It makes a huge difference," Sommers said. "Being anonymous changes the way you behave. You feel less accountable, less committed to an endeavor."
Although Sommers argued that exerting this extra effort proves to his students that he has a vested interest in teaching the course, he admitted that learning every name is no easy task. His method involves taking the time during exams to silently go up and down rows to test his recall capacity.
According to Sommers, it is only fair for professors to learn their students' names. Because students are repeatedly reminded of the high work ethic they are expected to maintain, professors should show they respect their pupils' hard work by at least learning their names, he said.
While most students appreciate the efforts of professors like Sommers, a select few who balance taking notes with a casual game of Solitaire during class time may find it surprising if they are personally called out for such extracurriculars.
Sommers said that he doesn't mind if this newfound familiarity between professors and students makes some students nervous.
"That's good for them to know they're not massive members of the audience," Sommers said.
And efforts from those like Sommers do not go unnoticed: Student reviews on Ratemyprofessors.com and Tuftsreviews.com rave about his superb teaching skills. Most notably, it is common to see posts that blatantly praise the fact that Sommers makes a genuine effort to get to know his students.
"Little things go a long way," Sommers said.
A like-minded professor is Joseph Litvak, who has been teaching English courses of various sizes at Tufts for nine years.
In smaller classes, Litvak said, it is easier to learn individual students' names, which makes them more apt to participate in class.
Litvak also stressed the importance of recognizing each student as an individual, rather than just another face, agreeing with Sommers that anonymity causes disengagement.
"We're not watching TV. You don't want to be a spectator," Litvak said.
By learning every student's name, a structure emerges that encourages students to present themselves as intellectuals through participation in class discussions and fosters mutual respect and recognition, he said.
"If I perform and you watch, you're put in a very passive position that is not conducive to real learning," Litvak said.
Something as seemingly simple as pronouncing a name correctly or learning a nickname makes a student feel noticed, Litvak explained. "A basic element of human interaction is recognizing their uniqueness," he said.
Although the overarching presence of technology has ushered in a time where personal connections are increasingly rare, Litvak takes genuine strides to combat this.
"There's a reason we still have classrooms instead of online classes," he said. "Personal interaction is an important part of learning. Teaching is not about an abstract transfer of knowledge."
Students have noticed the effort being put forth by professors.
Christy Martinez, a junior majoring in political science and community health, agreed that most of her professors care about getting to know their students. In one of her classes, all students are required to prop up nametags on their desks.
"It makes you want to try harder in class because it shows that professors care about student progress and not just about lecturing for three hours," Martinez said.
Claire Maiers, a graduate student in the music department, also appreciates this trend from the perspective of a student as well as a teaching assistant.
Maiers has served as teaching assistant for music classes in the past and said that she tries to learn the names of her students because of its effect on class discussions.
"[It] ...makes learning more engaging on a general level," she said.
Acknowledging the difficulty of name recollection in large sections, Maiers said that students can always take the first step in establishing a connection with their professors, citing Take Your Professor to Lunch Week and free coffee in the Tower Café as incentives to do so.
