Quick and Easy Way to Learn Students' Names

I am terrible with names and before I stumbled upon the idea of name tents, I found that with a seating chart or no seating chart, invariably there was still that awkward pause when addressing the student on the third row with the red jacket and yellow shoes on the 4th day of school.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to come up with their name and by then, it seemed rude to just point and say, "What do you think?"  This odd exchange always seemed to disrupt the flow of the class and did nothing to foster the culture and climate I had hoped to establish.  Finally, problem solved!
Now, I start every new year by having students create name tents.  It helps me learn my high school students' names quickly and easily by keeping their names in front of me at all times.  The only supplies I supply is a pack of markers.  The students provide the paper.

Here is how to make them:
1.  Have students get a sheet of paper from their notebook.

2.  Make a fold about 1/3 of the way down from the top of the sheet.

I demonstrate the folds using 2 sheets of paper (one colored, one white) layered on top of one another. This helps the students see how far down to make the fold.
3.  Make a second fold about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the sheet.  This creates a triangle of sorts when you try to stand it on the table.

It ends up looking like a rectangle from the front

and a triangle when you look at it from the side.

4.  Have each student use a marker to write their first name in the center section of the paper.

5.  Have students stand their name tent on their desk.

6.  At the end of the class period, direct students to place their name tent inside their notebook for use over the next few days.

Now, no more awkward moments.  Use the name tents until you and the students learn everyone's name.