The teaching chronicles - Name changes

On the first day of class, there are always a few students who want to be called something other than what is on the roll. Most are expected - Samuel to Sam, Jennifer to Jen - but this year I had a student who requested he be called Ninja. I wrote it down, planning to use it on special occasions only, and continued around the room. Ten students after Ninja, a girl named Tiffani requested to be called Lilly. That seemed pretty normal and natural so I made a permanent change for her. A distracted girl, I had to call her name frequently to get her attention and for weeks I called her name and she never responded until someone tapped her. I discussed the possibility of a hearing problem and learning disabilities with the special education teachers and went to great lengths worrying about her until I went back to my original roll and realized her name is Tiffany and finally figured out that she said Lilly not because that is what she is really called, but for a fun change. A change she soon forgot about and never responded to.