Name Cards for the World Language Classroom

A number of years ago, we came up with our favorite teacher hack - creating photo name cards for each group of students. This is a teaching tool I feel I cannot live without. It’s a bit of work on the front end, but it pays off! Here are some of the ways we like to use them:

Learning names

At the beginning of the year, this gives you a set of flashcards for learning your students’ names, and this can be especially useful if you assign language-specific names.

Useful tool for substitutes

Our subs are always happy to have these to identify students.

Seating students randomly

We have node chairs in our classrooms, and students use them or sit on the floor.  We no longer use seating charts with this flexible seating set up.  Before the students come in, I put a card on each desk or on a spot on the floor and they know where to go.  This has been great for classroom management, and the students get to work with a variety of classmates.

Calling on people randomly

As we teach, we hold the stack of cards, and we can making sure that everyone is participating. When it’s clear that everyone should be prepared to answer a question, we simply pick a card from our pile. I go through the whole pile at times to ensure that everyone gets a chance to talk.

Assigning partners/groups

Assigning random partners or groups has never been easier. Just pick a couple of cards and pair the students up. I find this so much less stressful than trying to assign random groups off the top of my head—and I find the students accept it more easily because it is truly random.

This week, our Powerpoint template for name cards is FREE! Enjoy!

Our PowerPoint Name Card template from our TPT store.