Last week I had my students set up their own accounts on Vocabulary.com. This process is pretty straight forward: first and last name, school email, grade level, and create a password. Once students created their account, they had to log in using the password they just created, and verify their grade and school to be accepted to the class roster I created. Finally, before completing the process, the screen asked them to include one more crucial piece of information:
A nickname.

Student: “Miss Lewis, what does it mean by nickname?”

Me: “You can just put your name. It’s the name that will appear on the top of our screen when you log in.”

Student: “But it’s asking for a nickname.”

Me: “That’s okay. Just put your name.”

Student: “What if I don’t have a nickname?”

Me: “Just put your name. It doesn’t matter. You can put your initials, your last name or… just put your name. It doesn’t matter.”

Student: “But it doesn’t say name. It says nickname.”

Me: “Just put your name. You can use your name as a nickname.”

Student: “Does it mean my nickname? Or yours? You keep saying, ‘Put in your nickname.'”

Me: “Child, just put your name.”

Student: “But my name’s not a nickname. It’s just a name.”

Me: “For the love! Just put in FART FACE!”

Student: …”Well, could I just put my name?”