CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A seventh grade teacher's first assignment of the year was learning his students' names, and he says it's about respect.

What You Need To Know

• Justin Parmenter has been a seventh grade language arts teacher for over 20 years
• He says a person's name is an important part of someone's identity, and a way to honor who they are as a person is to ensure you get it right
• Parmenter says this small step is especially important as the Charlotte area becomes more diverse

Justin Parmenter has been teaching seventh grade language arts for more than 20 years. He says with an unusual name himself, he wants students to know he cares about pronouncing their name correctly.

In a video to students at the beginning of the year, he explained what that meant to him. 

"That's my name. It's a really important part of my identity, and it's OK if people struggle with it, but I think they should try to get it right," said Parmenter. "I want to honor who you are, and step one of me honoring your identity and who you are is getting your name right." 

The teacher says middle school is a pivotal time for students to figure out their identity. With the Charlotte area growing in diversity, Parmenter says understanding people's differences can start with a name. He says more people should take the time to get this little thing right.

"I've seen that at times, where teachers don't make that effort to get to know their students in that way, make up nicknames for them instead if they have a name that's 'hard to pronounce,'" said Parmenter. "While I don't think there's any ill intent when people do things like that, I think the message they get sometimes is that they're not good enough."

He says he wants his students to know they deserve that kind of respect.

"And that can come through having people in your lives who treat you that way, but sometimes it also needs to come from letting people know they've made a mistake and how to fix it," said Parmenter.