The goal of this activity is to give students a chance to:
- Express themselves in a
meaningful and personal way.
- Share family traditions and values through the origin of their names.
- Build confidence in
speaking to peers in a supportive setting.
- Appreciate cultural diversity by learning about names from different languages
and backgrounds.
It’s a low-pressure, engaging way to help students open up, listen actively, and connect on a deeper level.
How Teachers
Can Assign This Activity
You can run this activity both
online and in person, giving students time to prepare their responses in
advance.
- Online Assignment:
Post the
instructions in your class platform (Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, or
similar). Ask each student to write their three responses and submit them
before the session. This allows quieter students to prepare and think about
their answers without pressure.
- Attendance Sessions (Follow-up):
During
class, invite three students per session to share their stories aloud.
Keeping the number small ensures everyone feels comfortable and that the
activity doesn’t take over the entire lesson.
Importantly,
remind students they may “pass” if they do not want to share at that
moment. This
respects individual comfort levels while keeping participation flexible.
- Teacher’s
Role:
- Model the activity by
sharing your own name story first.
- Show appreciation for
every contribution (e.g., “Thank you for sharing, that’s beautiful.”).
- Encourage classmates to
listen attentively and respond with kindness.
Student
Instructions: How to Share Your Name Story
To keep the activity simple
and fun, guide students to complete three short prompts. These sentence starters
ensure everyone has a structure, while still leaving room for creativity:
- “My name is …………….”
Students introduce their name clearly, perhaps including a nickname. - Example: “My name is Salma, but some people
call me Sally.”
- “My (father, mother, sister, brother, aunt, etc.)
named me because …”
Students explain who chose their name and why. - Example: “My grandmother named me after her
favorite poet.”
- “My name ………… means ………………………”
Students share the meaning of their name, if they know it. - Example: “My name Aiden means ‘little fire.’”
Optional: Encourage students
to add a fun fact—maybe how people often mispronounce their name, or a story
about when they first learned what it meant.
Teacher Note
- Model the activity by sharing your own name story
first.
- Rotate students over multiple sessions so
everyone has a chance to share.
- Encourage respectful listening and positive
feedback after each story.
Example
Classroom Moments
To give you a feel for the
activity, here are a few sample responses from imaginary students:
- “My name is Ahmed. My father named me because he
wanted me to carry the name of his best friend. My name means ‘the one who
constantly thanks.’”
- “My name is Leila. My aunt chose it because it
was her favorite name in a novel. My name means ‘night.’”
- “My name is Daniel, but my friends call me Dan. My parents named me because they liked how it sounded. My name means ‘God is my judge.’”
Read about the importance of this activity here