How do your students refer to you?
I asked in an earlier forum but I feel this forum is more appropiate for my question....
I'm finding it difficult to get used to being called by my last name and wouldn't mind being called Ms. Annie (my first name). Is this too friendly or informal? About half of the instructors at my campus use their first names so I wouldn't be going against the grain but I do want to maintain the role of class leader.
How do you prefer to have your students refer to you and why?
It took some getting use to but through out the years that I have been teaching I found that if you ask for respect, as well as give respect, the classes are in much better control. I don't let my students call me by my first name and I do not call them by thiers.
When my students called me by my first name(back when I first started teaching) they got into the "pal" mentality and before you know it, it's anything goes. They figured they were just out with friends.
You can still have fun in class, but keep it professional.
Hi Annie,
This is a commonly asked question by many new professionals. The key is to be called by a name/title that you are comfortable with and helps you to maintain the distance you need to have between your students and yourself.
Ms Annie is fine. The prefix gives you some distance, makes things a little more formal and then the use of your first name sends the message that you are comfortable with the students using your first name. This works real well if the students are a little older.
If your students are primarily those just out of high school and you being a younger instructor you may want to use your last name. This group tends to want to bring you into their group since you all are within the same age range. You need to create an image of professionalism that may be a little harder with this group.
Hope this information is of help to you as you settle into your routine as a teacher.
Gary
By Mr. then last name. 1 it is a sign of respect. also it shows them that there is a difference in Instructor/ Student.
I like the last name . I feel this helps establish leadership and helps class control as well.
Thank you all for the great suggestions. I spent another day in class (I'm still observing other instructors) and made the decision to be called Ms. Martinez. While I'm more comfortable being called by my first name, there are several reasons I chose to use my last name. Mainly, as I stated in a separate post, I am a fairly young instructor and given my height is that of preteen, I feel I must assert my leadership role at every opportunity. Sort of my Napolean complex, I suppose. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond.
I absolutely agree with this. Like I had said in another post, I don't mind if they say Prfoessor Judy. The culture at my college is to use the last name so my students now say Professor Mohammed. Using the first name (by itself) is not professional and it makes it especially hard for younger, smaller instructors.
Instructing students to call you by your first name would definitely set up an undesireable casual setting. When you ask them to call you by your last name and you call them by their last name, you have immediately establish an atmosphere of mutual respect. This will be truly beneficial later in the course.
I think Michael has hit the nail on the head. Coming from a teaching family (dad College Physics prof) I never quite understood why he insisted his students call him Mr. (or prof) Whetstone and he called them Mr.;back . His answer was that this provided the students their first opportunity to to think of themselves in a professional light and to take their education into their own hands. whatayouknow; I think now the old man might be right.
MY STUDENTS REFER TO ME AS CHEF SO, THAT MAKES VERY PROFFESIONAL AND IT IS THE PROPPER WAY AND A CLASSROOM/KITCHEN SETTING.
I think there are good arguments for both sides and ultimately you need to do what is comfortable for you. However, you also need to consider what the culture of your school is. If everyone is being addressed in a certain manner, than I believe you should be consistent with that. For example, in my previous positions I would allow the students to call me by my first name. In my current school, that is not the culture here and I actually appreciated it better when they call me "professor"
In my classes I will allow either Mr. Jerls or Mr. J. I have my first name on my id tag that I wear, but my classes does not call me by it. I work with the students on their names due to the demographics of where I work, the names sometimes are a problem, but I will learn them and how they prefer to be addressed. This is followed thru out the school.
i only let them use my last name. as the class moves on, i usely get several students calling me mr. g. witch i think is ok, as long as the mr. is there.
I am having trouble with this as well. I am young and it is akward for me to be called "Ms.Brown" but having students call me by my first name seems to make it to informal. Have ot decided yet what would be better
Hi Alysha,
I would suggest that you go by Ms Brown, since you are just beginning your teaching career. When you are in the same general age range of your students it is best to use a more formal title. This will help the students to understand you are the instructor. Sometimes they put you in the "pal" category and that causes all kinds of student management problems.
Gary
my students refer to me as Mr. O'Neil. I in return refer to them by Mr. or Ms. followed by their last name. This second part is not common among the instructors at my school.
When the decision was made by management to have the students refer to the instructors as Mr. or Ms, my first thought was one of intended alienation.
It turns out, that by not using first names it shows respect as professionals. I am the professional technical instructor and they are currently the "professional" student, learning their chosen trade and I give them that respect.
Hi Michael,
Good point about "professionalism" on both sides of the desk.
Gary
I agree, You need to set up the profesional alinement as soon as possable. With out doing so, you are open for a loosely controled class.
