And so, I tried to become invisible, to disappear so the teacher wouldn't have to feel obligated to call on me when she had already demonstrated time and again that I was truly not a member of the class. Students want to be known in the classroom once they have found that comfortable niche for themselves. They are ready and willing to become risk-takers, to share ideas and opinions but only when they feel safe and secure in the classroom environment. The act of naming provides the opening for students to find a shared lived space with their teachers and classmates. Entering a new classroom and being nameless causes some students to feel unprotected, vulnerable and insecure and at the same time giving them a sense of freedom.
Students feel they have a chance to be seen in a new way.
For many students it is a time of adaptation - trying to find a new space which is comfortable while trying to adapt to the expectations of new classmates and teachers. The experience of being named by the teacher or by others marks the beginning of a relationship. How that person calls me also determines the degree and type of relationality we experience. The label which is attached to me allows me to know something about our relationship. It creates the opportunity to be new again, to experience re-birth and growth.