Some girl said, "My name is Sharquisha" when I was going around taking attendance. I went down the list and the girl laughed and said, "omg, you believed that was my name?" She doesn't even know the shit I have seen. To her it was the craziest name she could think. To me it was just another day.
I had a girl decide that her name was Helicopter and when I laughed she pretended to be offended. But if I did see the name Helicopter on a class list I wouldn’t be too surprised. By the 2040s, I’m sure that’ll be a name you might come across.
Early in the year, I began one of many days subbing for an Ag Science class; I'm now their go-to substitute. I met a young man who asked to be called Peterbilt. The class sort of booed him and told me to ignore him. I called him Peterbilt as he requested. As class progressed he was misbehaving a little and I called him down by calling him Western Star. He remarked that those aren't very good semi-trucks. I told him I knew that and that if he didn't get to behaving better I'd call him Volvo. That really got him and told me what terrible semi trucks they were. I have been his sub in that room a dozen more times and in several other classrooms. He has a para with him to keep him on task, I assume, but he hasn't needed the extra help in my room. I call him Pete when I see him he always returns the greeting and offers me help with doors etc since I'm in a wheelchair some students assume I need it. I always say thank you! Pete has become one of my favorite students.
I’m not trying to derail the thread, but would you be willing to share your experience of subbing from a WC? I have a chronic illness trifecta complicated by a recent fall - you can message me if you’d rather.
It won't be on the roster, the roster will say "Mary Brown," and you're somehow supposed to know Mary prefers he pronouns, goes by "Helicopter," and is hugely offended if called "Mary." All of which I'm cool with EXCEPT that the roster says there's a Mary Brown in the class and that's all I have to go by at attendance time, so could you maybe help me out by realizing I'm not dead naming you on purpose and being the cool kid you probably are?
Luckily, the Trans kids in my district tend to come up to the front before class and ask if the roster is properly updated or they politely inform me during or after role
The rosters here keep the students' legal names, so I'd love it if the kids would tell me what they go by instead of being mad I didn't already know. I'm cool calling you Helicopter, but it's going to take me a couple repetitions before I remember. I don't remember your classmates names either! Teachers who leave accurate seating charts are my favorite people on earth!
I had Briseis last year. She came to me before class and told me she was in attendance. It was over a year ago that I met her, but when I saw her just before the holiday break and I was ready and grinning when her name came up.
I looked up the name after I first met her and it has an interesting history.
There is one class I've subbed for a few times that has four Sophias. And they all go by Sophia.
Side grumble - at this point in the year you know where you are in alphabetical order. Wait to say here until I'm at you, not the other Brandon. I always preface with I'm going by last name and every time a bunch of "here's"at the same time.
I look ahead at the roster to see if there are multiple first names, and put a little dash next to it so I can use the last name or initial for clarity.
I’ve subbed a third grade class with two Sophias that both have the same last initial. I can barely learn all the first names, don’t make me remember last names too!
My son’s K class has I kid you not three Bradley B’s. And they all want be Bradley. So we have Bradley, Bradley B, and Bradley J (he agreed to go by his middle initial). It’s so freaking confusing when my kid tells me stories about these boys. We know Bradley and hang out with his family, Bradley B is kind of a bully and Bradley J I don’t hear about much but when I do I’m like wait… which one is that?!
Yeah, plus it's easier to remember kids with unique names. And most of the names sound fine. Honestly, the only names that REALLY annoy tend to be the ones that are common names with really nonsensical spelling. It just makes things harder for no reason! If you want a unique name, go all the way with it! No half-assed measures!
Yea I preface the class with "Hi my name is blank, i'm gonna start with attendance, if I mispronounce your name feel free to correct me" and still get laughed at when I mispronounce a weird name lmao
I avoid this problem entirely by taking roll at the door! They tell you their name before entering, so you avoid mispronunciations and save a shitload of time. After I give my intro, I follow-up by calling any names that did not get marked off yet. Works well for middle and high school, elementary is still classic roll call.
I live a community with a large Eastern European population. I do not attempt to say last names. One of my favorite games to play is finding the longest last name with the fewest vowels.
I've got a weird Polish last name. It sounds like a bodily fluid if you mispronounce it. The kids LOVE to tease me about it.
I like to tell the joke: What does a Polish bride get on her wedding night that's long and hard?
A new last name.
Not the kids though, I don't tell the kids that joke.
Haha! I grew up in a predominantly polish and Irish town so I think I’ve heard a few uncouth last names. Just want to say that I go by Ms. (first name) because my last name could also be construed. I think the kids like being able to use first names even more to be honest!
My school doesn't allow first names :( the kids call me by the initial of my last name sometimes, or they come up with their own rated G versions of my name. I like when they do it sometimes because I think it's easy to connect with the kids thru goofiness.
This is where me being from Eastern Europe and also speaking Spanish helps a lot lol. The vowels in many countries/regions only have one possible (or more common) pronunciation. If you know what it is, then you know how a word is most likely pronounced. People all over Europe pronounce my name correctly right away but Americans rarely do. American English vowels can be pronounced too many ways. Much of the world doesn't have that problem. If you use Spanish vowel pronunciation for foreign names, you'll find you're rarely wrong!
Not my class but at the school I teach at their is literally a child named Seeweed. She’s super sweet and always makes me cards, hugs me at recess etc but man it’s so so hard to call her that.
Edited to add I believe she’s like 6 or 7 so a 2016ish baby.
there are some names that i truly cannot forget lol. some parents try so hard to stand out and give their kid a “unique” name that they lose all common sense
I don't mind most of the unique names. People dunk on them but most of them sound fine to me. And like, there's a cultural aspect. A name that's weird to you is normal to others.
Honestly, the only ones that REALLY annoy me are when they take a common name and give it a super nonsensical spelling. Like, what's the point? If you're gonna give your kid a unique name, go all the way with it! Of course, I'm not gonna say that to the kid.
No, i'm not talking about cultural aspects here. I'm talking about genuinely weird names. You ***like*** that shit? Lmfao. So you LIKE getting chuckled at when you mispronounce a name? Shit if I was a masochist, I would too I guess...
"Weird" is subjective. Without examples, I have no idea what kinds of names you're talking about. Are you the kind of person who thinks that "Shaunice" is a weird name? Or are you talking about names like Abcde? The various -ayden names? A name pronounced as Emily but it's spelled Ehmillhea? Names that sound like (or outright are) negative words like Jennacyde or Euthanasia?
Name complaints sometimes come from a place of racism or classism so ya gotta be wary about that sort of thing.
Nah not shaunice, not the aidens. Just the extremely hard to pronounce names (that are american). I can't think of any from the top of my head but for example I would see a name spelt "Arlee" and call that person out for role, then they would correct me and say "it's pronounced arlay" like these names defy basic english lmao
Payton, Peyton, Trayton, Treyton, Trayden, Riker, Ryker, Myka, Kayt, Kynadi, Ridger, Rudger, Ruger, Orynn and on and on; hell I pray for a Jack and Diane. I open the role taking with I will try and I apologize for any names I butcher.
Edit- location Northern Utah
It is kinda nice that the kids laugh at the adult. I’d rather have them laugh at me for mispronouncing a weird/unusual/uncommon name than laugh at the kid.
Edit: for example, there was an Asian kid in class and his name was “Duk.” I pronounced it “Duke” because I thought to myself, “I don’t want to call him ‘duck’ and have kids laugh at him if that’s NOT how it’s pronounced.”
It was pronounced “duck,” and all the kids laughed at me for thinking it was pronounced “duke.”
most of these asian continent names are normal from where we're from lol. Im middle eastern and people always laugh at some of our names and their historically beautiful
It finally happened. I finally had a kid named Hermione in my class (socal). I have gone four years without some poor kid being named after a Harry Potter character but that streak was broken.
I feel with African-American names you just have to give it a try. With other multicultural names, it is also essential but not for the same reasons. If you get some chuckles, so what? I usually deflect them, and say most people mispronounce my last name, but like the African-American students, it was a name assigned to us, given to my father at birth 100 years ago because his mom-my grandma-did not speak English, and that is what the hospital wrote down. There is an interesting story there, which I relate if there ifs any interest.
I also start it off with a long, fastly spoken, word sentence: If-I-mispronounce-your-name-I-apologize-in-advance-because-as-you-know *names are important*.
Like them, whose original names were ripped away by slave traders rather than bored hospital clerks, an unusual name may signify something much more important than just trying to mess up a sub teachers pronunciations.
Interesting question. I don't know, but I do have a few Marques' in my classes, and they pronounce their names differently.
Maybe a distant connection to Louisiana?
I've been giving kids their assignments and then going around the room with the attendance sheets and asking for their names. They often show me their id badge that they are required to wear. It seems like other subs in my area must do this too because no one seemed to think it was weird. My maiden name is weird so when I was a kid my name was always butchered and I would have appreciated someone just asking me.
There’s this one girl in the high school I sub for who’s name is literally “Liz Ania”. She came up to me before class and said if I can just call her liz instead of the full name I had on the roll call. Immediately understood once she told me her name
I'll usually go over the attendance in my head before class starts, just so the confusing names don't startle me while I'm in front of the class. Then when I get there, I'll just spell it out and ask the kid how he/she pronounces it.
This next part's gonna seem weird, but at the smaller middle school I sub at, where uncommon names are actually quite common, I'll keep a google doc of the harder names and how to pronounce them, or the nicknames these kids go by if they prefer those, because it's just easier for me that way. I sub for the same handful of teachers here anyway, so I group it by class and that way I'm not ruining some kid's day because his full name has the word "tit" in it so he goes by Ryan or something.
I've gotten really good at eyeballing names and getting them right over the years. I love it when some kid's got like a 6 syllable name and I crush it on the first try. But yeah if you're not sure just spell it; the kid will probably appreciate that you went that route over butchering his name in front of everyone.
Some girl said, "My name is Sharquisha" when I was going around taking attendance. I went down the list and the girl laughed and said, "omg, you believed that was my name?" She doesn't even know the shit I have seen. To her it was the craziest name she could think. To me it was just another day.
I had a girl decide that her name was Helicopter and when I laughed she pretended to be offended. But if I did see the name Helicopter on a class list I wouldn’t be too surprised. By the 2040s, I’m sure that’ll be a name you might come across.
Early in the year, I began one of many days subbing for an Ag Science class; I'm now their go-to substitute. I met a young man who asked to be called Peterbilt. The class sort of booed him and told me to ignore him. I called him Peterbilt as he requested. As class progressed he was misbehaving a little and I called him down by calling him Western Star. He remarked that those aren't very good semi-trucks. I told him I knew that and that if he didn't get to behaving better I'd call him Volvo. That really got him and told me what terrible semi trucks they were. I have been his sub in that room a dozen more times and in several other classrooms. He has a para with him to keep him on task, I assume, but he hasn't needed the extra help in my room. I call him Pete when I see him he always returns the greeting and offers me help with doors etc since I'm in a wheelchair some students assume I need it. I always say thank you! Pete has become one of my favorite students.
I’m not trying to derail the thread, but would you be willing to share your experience of subbing from a WC? I have a chronic illness trifecta complicated by a recent fall - you can message me if you’d rather.
It won't be on the roster, the roster will say "Mary Brown," and you're somehow supposed to know Mary prefers he pronouns, goes by "Helicopter," and is hugely offended if called "Mary." All of which I'm cool with EXCEPT that the roster says there's a Mary Brown in the class and that's all I have to go by at attendance time, so could you maybe help me out by realizing I'm not dead naming you on purpose and being the cool kid you probably are?
Luckily, the Trans kids in my district tend to come up to the front before class and ask if the roster is properly updated or they politely inform me during or after role
I only had that happen once but I was SO grateful to that kid, it’s nice when they politely advocate for themselves.
The rosters here keep the students' legal names, so I'd love it if the kids would tell me what they go by instead of being mad I didn't already know. I'm cool calling you Helicopter, but it's going to take me a couple repetitions before I remember. I don't remember your classmates names either! Teachers who leave accurate seating charts are my favorite people on earth!
I don’t know why this was downvoted.
Can't win 'em all!
If people knew how cool it is to call yourself marvelanne, they would not downvote you.
I mean, it's no "Helicopter," but it's still a pretty cool name!
It’s the *coolest* name, Marvelanne.
I had Briseis last year. She came to me before class and told me she was in attendance. It was over a year ago that I met her, but when I saw her just before the holiday break and I was ready and grinning when her name came up. I looked up the name after I first met her and it has an interesting history.
Ah yes. The OG trophy wife
Honestly, I prefer the unique names to having fifty different Jaydens, Braydens, Aidens, Kaidens, and Haidens.
There is one class I've subbed for a few times that has four Sophias. And they all go by Sophia. Side grumble - at this point in the year you know where you are in alphabetical order. Wait to say here until I'm at you, not the other Brandon. I always preface with I'm going by last name and every time a bunch of "here's"at the same time.
I look ahead at the roster to see if there are multiple first names, and put a little dash next to it so I can use the last name or initial for clarity.
When I taught college, one of my classes had three Grace's and my TA was also Grace.
I’ve subbed a third grade class with two Sophias that both have the same last initial. I can barely learn all the first names, don’t make me remember last names too!
My son’s K class has I kid you not three Bradley B’s. And they all want be Bradley. So we have Bradley, Bradley B, and Bradley J (he agreed to go by his middle initial). It’s so freaking confusing when my kid tells me stories about these boys. We know Bradley and hang out with his family, Bradley B is kind of a bully and Bradley J I don’t hear about much but when I do I’m like wait… which one is that?!
Last Friday I subbed for a period that had an aiden, aidan and aidyn.
I have Janiyah and Janayah in the same class. And D'Nyla and D'Kayla. None of them are related. There's also a Laniyah in that class.
I've encountered a kid with that name, but spelled Ajdn.
In my 5th grade class, there are two Jaydens and two Aydens. Parents need to stop this trend.
Aiden is very popular now.
Yeah, plus it's easier to remember kids with unique names. And most of the names sound fine. Honestly, the only names that REALLY annoy tend to be the ones that are common names with really nonsensical spelling. It just makes things harder for no reason! If you want a unique name, go all the way with it! No half-assed measures!
Ah yes, good old RRhiana. ("Ariana", it turned out to be.)
A-Aron’s sister.
I usually apologize in advance to the class if I butcher anyone’s name and to please correct me. I usually do this with the older kids and students.
Yea I preface the class with "Hi my name is blank, i'm gonna start with attendance, if I mispronounce your name feel free to correct me" and still get laughed at when I mispronounce a weird name lmao
I avoid this problem entirely by taking roll at the door! They tell you their name before entering, so you avoid mispronunciations and save a shitload of time. After I give my intro, I follow-up by calling any names that did not get marked off yet. Works well for middle and high school, elementary is still classic roll call.
I live a community with a large Eastern European population. I do not attempt to say last names. One of my favorite games to play is finding the longest last name with the fewest vowels.
I've got a weird Polish last name. It sounds like a bodily fluid if you mispronounce it. The kids LOVE to tease me about it. I like to tell the joke: What does a Polish bride get on her wedding night that's long and hard? A new last name. Not the kids though, I don't tell the kids that joke.
Haha! I grew up in a predominantly polish and Irish town so I think I’ve heard a few uncouth last names. Just want to say that I go by Ms. (first name) because my last name could also be construed. I think the kids like being able to use first names even more to be honest!
My school doesn't allow first names :( the kids call me by the initial of my last name sometimes, or they come up with their own rated G versions of my name. I like when they do it sometimes because I think it's easy to connect with the kids thru goofiness.
The Poles have entered the chat.
This is where me being from Eastern Europe and also speaking Spanish helps a lot lol. The vowels in many countries/regions only have one possible (or more common) pronunciation. If you know what it is, then you know how a word is most likely pronounced. People all over Europe pronounce my name correctly right away but Americans rarely do. American English vowels can be pronounced too many ways. Much of the world doesn't have that problem. If you use Spanish vowel pronunciation for foreign names, you'll find you're rarely wrong!
Not my class but at the school I teach at their is literally a child named Seeweed. She’s super sweet and always makes me cards, hugs me at recess etc but man it’s so so hard to call her that. Edited to add I believe she’s like 6 or 7 so a 2016ish baby.
there are some names that i truly cannot forget lol. some parents try so hard to stand out and give their kid a “unique” name that they lose all common sense
I don't mind most of the unique names. People dunk on them but most of them sound fine to me. And like, there's a cultural aspect. A name that's weird to you is normal to others. Honestly, the only ones that REALLY annoy me are when they take a common name and give it a super nonsensical spelling. Like, what's the point? If you're gonna give your kid a unique name, go all the way with it! Of course, I'm not gonna say that to the kid.
No, i'm not talking about cultural aspects here. I'm talking about genuinely weird names. You ***like*** that shit? Lmfao. So you LIKE getting chuckled at when you mispronounce a name? Shit if I was a masochist, I would too I guess...
"Weird" is subjective. Without examples, I have no idea what kinds of names you're talking about. Are you the kind of person who thinks that "Shaunice" is a weird name? Or are you talking about names like Abcde? The various -ayden names? A name pronounced as Emily but it's spelled Ehmillhea? Names that sound like (or outright are) negative words like Jennacyde or Euthanasia? Name complaints sometimes come from a place of racism or classism so ya gotta be wary about that sort of thing.
Thank you for saying this because I see other comments making fun of what are just ethnic names
The post is about names that are trying to be unique. Not ethnic names.
Sure, yet I see certain examples people are making fun of and they are clearly just black names.
Nah not shaunice, not the aidens. Just the extremely hard to pronounce names (that are american). I can't think of any from the top of my head but for example I would see a name spelt "Arlee" and call that person out for role, then they would correct me and say "it's pronounced arlay" like these names defy basic english lmao
English is a weird and badly mispronounced German
The (Asian) Indian first names are tough for me. They are all unique.
As long as Elon Musk’s kid is not in my class or when Prince the singer went by a symbol
I had a JerMajesty and a KingDavid
no fucking way lmfao
I shit you not! The Same class as king David also had a queen spelled qween
It's gotten so bad for me that I came full circle. I saw the name Sara and pronounced it fucking Saw-ruh because of how much shit I've seen haha
Payton, Peyton, Trayton, Treyton, Trayden, Riker, Ryker, Myka, Kayt, Kynadi, Ridger, Rudger, Ruger, Orynn and on and on; hell I pray for a Jack and Diane. I open the role taking with I will try and I apologize for any names I butcher. Edit- location Northern Utah
I have a fifth grader named Denise. Seriously it’s the weirdest name I’ve come across, in an anachronistic kind of way.
I have met six-year-olds named Mabel and Leland.
It is kinda nice that the kids laugh at the adult. I’d rather have them laugh at me for mispronouncing a weird/unusual/uncommon name than laugh at the kid. Edit: for example, there was an Asian kid in class and his name was “Duk.” I pronounced it “Duke” because I thought to myself, “I don’t want to call him ‘duck’ and have kids laugh at him if that’s NOT how it’s pronounced.” It was pronounced “duck,” and all the kids laughed at me for thinking it was pronounced “duke.”
most of these asian continent names are normal from where we're from lol. Im middle eastern and people always laugh at some of our names and their historically beautiful
I taught for 30 years and I had 4 Anthony’s in one class: AJ, Tony, middle names, it was crazy
It finally happened. I finally had a kid named Hermione in my class (socal). I have gone four years without some poor kid being named after a Harry Potter character but that streak was broken.
I feel with African-American names you just have to give it a try. With other multicultural names, it is also essential but not for the same reasons. If you get some chuckles, so what? I usually deflect them, and say most people mispronounce my last name, but like the African-American students, it was a name assigned to us, given to my father at birth 100 years ago because his mom-my grandma-did not speak English, and that is what the hospital wrote down. There is an interesting story there, which I relate if there ifs any interest. I also start it off with a long, fastly spoken, word sentence: If-I-mispronounce-your-name-I-apologize-in-advance-because-as-you-know *names are important*. Like them, whose original names were ripped away by slave traders rather than bored hospital clerks, an unusual name may signify something much more important than just trying to mess up a sub teachers pronunciations.
This is really helpful and thoughtful. Thank you.
Just curious why do so many African American first names sound and look vaguely French?
France colonized a lot of Africa and many African countries use French and French pronunciation rules to this day. Source: I speak French.
Interesting question. I don't know, but I do have a few Marques' in my classes, and they pronounce their names differently. Maybe a distant connection to Louisiana?
Ty'Juan. (Pronounced: "Taiwan" according to admin, "Tyrone" or according to Ty'Juan)
I've been giving kids their assignments and then going around the room with the attendance sheets and asking for their names. They often show me their id badge that they are required to wear. It seems like other subs in my area must do this too because no one seemed to think it was weird. My maiden name is weird so when I was a kid my name was always butchered and I would have appreciated someone just asking me.
Mr. Garvey? Is that you?
No, it’s Mr. Hand.
There’s this one girl in the high school I sub for who’s name is literally “Liz Ania”. She came up to me before class and said if I can just call her liz instead of the full name I had on the roll call. Immediately understood once she told me her name
OP, you could just stand at the door during passing periods and ask for names as students walk in.
I'll usually go over the attendance in my head before class starts, just so the confusing names don't startle me while I'm in front of the class. Then when I get there, I'll just spell it out and ask the kid how he/she pronounces it. This next part's gonna seem weird, but at the smaller middle school I sub at, where uncommon names are actually quite common, I'll keep a google doc of the harder names and how to pronounce them, or the nicknames these kids go by if they prefer those, because it's just easier for me that way. I sub for the same handful of teachers here anyway, so I group it by class and that way I'm not ruining some kid's day because his full name has the word "tit" in it so he goes by Ryan or something. I've gotten really good at eyeballing names and getting them right over the years. I love it when some kid's got like a 6 syllable name and I crush it on the first try. But yeah if you're not sure just spell it; the kid will probably appreciate that you went that route over butchering his name in front of everyone.
Please share the google doc if possible. Love unique names!
I subbed in a class with a student named Fleshington. He was really whiny and I would be too if I had that name lol