>>6257068 (PB)

I have been teaching high school 26 years. Average class size is 20-25, six periods a day, unless one lucks out and gets a duty period, such as study hall, in which case there's 60-70 kids, but that's another story – most of us teach 6 periods day. At any rate, I don't think I have ever memorized the names of all my students till the end of September. And now, in my senior years, and having literally taught thousands, it takes me even longer, perhaps till the end of second marking period, and especially the quiet ones. Plus I have to remember the names of the students in the previous two-three years, if I had them as freshmen. Then there's remembering the names of all my new young colleagues. Then they get married and now they have a new name. Then the old ones get divorced and switch back to their maiden names, which I may or may not have known to begin with. So I don't try too hard to memorize students' names.

Rather, I pay attention to their spirits. And I have found that when I run into former students who have long since graduated, and whose names I cannot recall, they are not upset, because I remember more important things, such as the essays they wrote, the careers they aspired to, where they sat, funny things that happened in class, sad things that happened that year. And they are always impressed that I remember these things, but I don't know how I could ever forget.

Truly, they could all be anonymous and I would know each individual just the same.