question for the language teachers

I subbed for a language teacher today.

Ive never heard of this but I wonder what you guys think.

She (at the beginning of the year) gave everyone in the class the chance to choose "their name" for the class.

So Sara was Teresa
Michael was Pedro
Nick was Raul.

for the whole school year. they sign their papers / write their headings with their "class name" also..

I was getting dizzy from their real names Vs their names for class.

has anyone ever seen this done ?

Re: question for the language teachers

I am not a language teacher, but in high school my language teacher did something similar. She picked them though. She also choose our names according to our real names.

Example:

Joe was Jose

Tracy was Teresa

and so on so that it was easier for her.

We wrote our real names on our papers.

Re: question for the language teachers

My students choose their own names, hence the reason that I have NO IDEA what their English names are. There are times I will ask them what their English names are (For writing a pass or something) and they tell me, and I say no really? I thought it was Michael if they were Miguel.

Years later when I have students come back and visit me, I can tell you what their Spanish names were but still have NO idea what their English name was. They will say do your remember me? I respond, not in English but I know your Spanish name was so and so. It's bad but the kids like picking their names.

ETA they use their Spanish names at all times in my class with the exception of the final

Message edited 5/29/2008 7:35:59 AM.

Re: question for the language teachers

i've seen this done a lot. my Spanish teacher in HS did this too. However, the names were always (whenever possible) the cognate of the English version... so
Matt was Mateo
Joe was Jose.
Lauren was Laura
Carrie was Carmen

Where a foreign equivalent was not possible, the teacher let the kids choose.

Re: question for the language teachers

oh wow, Ive never seen this done (well the case of choosing any name). so I guess it's pretty common.

it was cute that they were totally into their "class" names

Re: question for the language teachers

Even worse Anna, you will start to see patterns in certain kids that pick certain names.

Pacos and Nachos ==== BAD

Pepes are usually class clowns

I could go on and on.

Ironic that it happens almost every year in the 12 years I have been doing that.

Re: question for the language teachers

nacho ???

well the PACO kid was a "good kid" he was the ONLY one of like ten boys that was PERFECT (and this was 8th grade )

so all of a sudden he totally shocked me.
still behaving really well.
finished his work quickly, took another assignment to start on.
the class was a bit chatty, there was a TA in the room.

there were scrabble pieces in the back of the room, maybe the teacher lets them play scrabble in spanish, not sure?
so he (the good kid) had given his friend the letters to spell his name, and the kid had a "name plate" like the ones in offices right on his desk.

well a few minutes later, he (the "good kid" or so i though) comes back and shows his friend, and they cover them up and laugh their tails off.

the letters were B, I, T, C and yep, H.


I didnt make a big stink of it, because I was actually confused because this seemed like a good quiet kid
so the TA saw it, and had a few words with him..
not sure if it was directed at me or the TA, neither of us were b*tches at that point
I did write a note to the teacher I subbed for...

sometimes its more stress than it's worth to make a spectacle of something.. he would deny that it was intended towards anyone, etc.
I just didnt have the energy to make a big deal of it, I just said a few words to him...so his teacher will deal with it..

yeah, subbing is great..

what possessed me to go to middle school that day

Re: question for the language teachers

It's cute and seems to get kids excited about the language and culture.

My middle school French teacher did it and I still remember I was Gabrielle. I chose and it is nothing like my real name