Never Been Good at Taming Shrews, But Teaching Kates....Well, That's Inevitable at a Jesuit University

On the first day of school, K-12 teaching, I often walked around the room with a giant arrow and pointed to every new face I met. They would tell me their name, first and last, and I'd make everyone write it down. I then said, there will be a quiz Friday on the names of your classmates. You need to know one another; I'm irrelevant. My students of yesteryear tell me that the best thing I can do to change my practice is to teach students how to network and learn how everyone might benefit them one day.

That, to me, equalled a spelling test of first and last names.

I've always prided myself on the fact that I quickly learn kid names (even though I fail on learning the names of most adults). Names are important and I know the sooner I nail them, the more rapport I'm able to build.

Yet, at Fairfield I fail and it is quite a Kate-tastrophe. Why? Because when rosters are Caitlin, Caitlyn, Katherine, Katie, Kate, Katelyn, Katelin, Katie-Lynn, Kaitlyn, Kaitlin, Catelyn, Cattelina, Cate, & Mary Kate, with the occasional Justin or Alec, I seriously am not able to learn as quick as I should. Yes, I have a 90% chance of being correct if I use the "k" sound at follow with 'ate,' but it gets tricky deciphering this Cate form Kait!

...You know you teach at a Catholic/Jesuit University when....

Typically, by week two, I do a Price Is Right challenge where I put a timer on the screen and then run around putting name cards in front of all my students until I get 100%. I come to the front of the room and the kids can be human buzzers. Yet, deciphering Caitlin, Caitlyn, Katherine, Katie, Kate, Katelyn, Katelin, Katie-Lynn, Kaitlyn, Kaitlin, Catelyn, Cattelina, Cate, & Mary Kate, from last year's Caitlins, Caitlyns, Katherines, Katies, Kates, Katelyns, Katelins, Katie-Lynns, Kaitlyns, Kaitlins, Catelyns, Cattelinas, Cates, & Mary Kates gets mightily confusing.

By the way, I typically get the Justins and Alecs correct right away. No brainer there.

And as a fan of Taming of the Shrew, I've always had a fondness for the Katherines of the world, but typically Fairfield Kates do not have the feistiness or sharpness of tongue. Instead, they say things like, "Thank you, Dr. Crandall, for teaching me today," as they leave the room. Appreciation. For learning. Kindness.

"Why thank you, Caitlin, and Caitlyn, and Katherine, and Katie, and Kate, and Katelyn, and Katelin, and Katie-Lynn, and Kaitlyn, and Kaitlin, and Catelyn, and Cattelina, and Cate, & Mary Kate," I say. "And you, too, Justin and Alec."

Of course, I always want to sing the k-k-k-Katie song, coming to to my k-k-k-kitchen, but that's never been appropriate for the K-18 classroom.

I guess I'm scrapping today's post up to the drama of teaching at Fairfield. Or maybe I'm just c-c-c-crazy with my head in the c-c-c-umulous clouds.