What's in a name? -an observation

One thing I've observed since entering the education profession is names.

Some names parents chose for their kids are sad (an African-American teenage girl-Shithead,pronounced Sha-Thade). Some are interesting (Brandella-Brandon and Ella combined for one young girl). And, even still, some are over-used (five Jordans in one class; 15 Ashley's in one day!!).

But, for the most part, some names are like a tell-all talk show seen on channel 13--I can tell much about a student just by calling their name while taking roll. I generally don't like placing stereotypes on people, but students named Brittany/Rachel and Chris/Ryan are typically all alike.

But this is just an observation....strictly an opinion....

Brittany and Rachel are typically the pretty girls, long blond hair and awesome blue eyes. They usually have a slew of people hanging around them (probably including Chris and Ryan). Brittany likes her body, as does Rachel, but neither of them like school lunch (or a sack lunch from home, for that matter) and are seen in the lunch room sipping bottled water and nibbling on celery sticks.

You couldn't say that Brittany and Rachel are exceptional students destined for graduate school, but both plan on attending cosmotology school after completing high school. Another thing about Brittany and Rachel are that they both have the same bubbly, perfectly uniform handwriting-including a real-live circle to dot the 'i.'

They have subscriptions to all the teen-magazines (which they keep stashed in their lockers), carry more sticks of lip-gloss than pencils, and insist on filing their nails during class instead of actually working. Both girls have cell phones, and can be seen text-messaging back and forth during class time.

Chris and Ryan are the male versions of Brittany and Rachel, thus the four are a gruesome group of popular perfection, or so they think. Chris is the class stud; he can do no wrong to the young girls of his class. Ryan is a punk kid who wears girls jeans (equals TIGHT on the legs et all), Romones t-shirts held together by safteypins, and black Converse low-tops. (If you're thinking a kid like this wouldn't be popular, think again; this is the #1 style for boys here in Utah).

Both Chris and Ryan have iPods, making them top amongst the list of iPod snobs in the school. Chris listens to 50 Cent, R. Kelly, and Usher; Ryan jams to Greenday, Good Charlotte, and AFI. Once a day (usually in the class I'm subbing in), Ryan and Chris are asked to put their iPods away or else...

Chris and Ryan both enjoy a good laugh, leading most to believe that all is well in their world. Tis not so, as Chris lives with his grandparents, who resent his ruining their retirement, and Ryan spends his nights at home with a pregnant mom and her 6 tiny children.

Yes, I can tell a lot by a name...and sadly, that's all I can think about while I'm doing my job.


***This is just an observation and I meant no harm or hurt to any readers.***