How do you guys feel about abbreviating names to make them easier on the kiddos. Personally, my name isn't that hard (Mrs. Kenny)...but a few of the kids insert "d" and pronounce it Mrs. Kendy or Kennedy...When I teach Sunday School, everyone calls me Mrs. Sarah or Mrs. K...I do not like the idea of my school students using my first name, but I wouldn't mind Mrs. K, if that was easier for them. :dunno: What do you guys think? Do any of you go by abbreviations?
I dont because mines Harrison. At a school I went to before you were called Mrs.first name. I did not like that it was disrepectful to me. I do not see any wrong with abbreviating your name.
I have a very difficult last name to say and I was prepared to have the little guys call me Miss L., but they got my full name lickety split, so that is what they called me! I think it's all about preference.
I too, think the first name basis, even with the Mrs./Mr./Ms./Miss before it is disrespectful, and/or puts the students on the smae level as the teacher. I think it takes away from the "authority" of the teacher. In previos years, I have had students who attended the same church as I, and I finally had to pull them into the hall, and say: At church, Sarah is fine, but at school, I am Mrs. Kenny!
At school I am Mrs. B. Right now, however, I'm working at a camp with several students attend and I'm Mrs. Trinda. I've never had anyone have a problem with the two....except maybe me because I talk about myself in second person and I call myself the wrong thing at camp.
The kids in our school call us all by our first names and I like it. I think I would feel old if someone had to call me Mrs. K or Mrs. myfirstname.
I also prefer the last name and my kids butcher mine constantly, but I know what they are trying to say and will of course, answer to it. I do tell them my first name if they ask because I want them to understand everyone has first and last names. I had a 10-minute debate with a child last year who couldn't get his head around why my first name wasn't "Miss".
I go by Mrs. Lori by my students that are able to speak. Others call me mama or whatever sound they can make. I'm not picky and not worried about that particular aspect of respect at this time from my little ones. I try to make sure they get the Mrs. in there but some of them, I'm just lucky if they can make a sound. NOW if I were in a regular ed. classroom in a regular school, then YES, Mrs. LastName would be what I would want.
We use first names and I love it. It's my name! We're very family foucused and if they called me Mrs, it would be way too formal. What they call me has nothing to do with respect.
I prefer Ms. Last Name. I think even preschoolers can learn to pronounce your name properly. It is important for socialization and safety, IMO. Parents and visitors often come to school, and they need to know the staff by name. I've worked in centers that used the teachers first name, with and without the Ms. or Mr. I always insist that my class calls me Ms. _____ I am an old school stickler about titles. I don't want 4 year olds calling me by my first name. All my nephews are over 18 and still call me Auntie, and my daughter's friends are 25 and they still call me Mrs. _________, so I don't allow anyone younger to call me by my first name. I feel it is common courtesy, and a matter of respect It maybe considered less formal, and easier for the kids, but I think personally, it is better all around if they learn your last name. And in the class, we teachers call each other Ms. all day. The close teachers will blurt out each others first names, and during staff days, we may break down and say, "Mary or Betty has one, or check with Sarah or Mike". Only teachers I called by their first name are my college professors. And even still, I call them Prof. Bob or Dr. Betty. When they email me and sign off Barb... I will call them Sister Barb or Dr. Barb... Old habits are hard to break I guess.
I don't mind abbreviating the last name, but I do not like going by first names. I have a kindergarten teacher who has an incredibly tough last name to say- it starts with three consonants (Prz) and is pronounced completely unlike you would think. However, she expects the kids to say it. She teaches them, and they do just fine.
My Head Start kiddos always called me "Teacher Zelda". I loved it. A few would call me "Miss Zelda" and that was cool too. I always got a kick out of the "teacher" title because I figure I paid good money to become one, why not revel in it? :wub: In a "big" school setting I'll go with my last name, just so I don't rock the boat.
My Asian parents and their children called me Teacher_____ I reveled in it as well. Made me feel proud when I heard them calling for me. And they always said, Thank you, Teacher _____ after meeting with me. No matter what was said, even if they did not agree with me. I would apologize, and sent them to director, or offered alternative advice. Thank you, Teacher! The little one would say! sigh!
I went to a week long workshop a few years ago with Great Expectations. They encouraged the teachers to have the students show respect by saying, Mrs. lastname. Not only that, but use it when speaking to the class.... "Mrs. lastname, My name is Skyy and I have one older brother and one younger sister" (using complete sentences). I had to teach my 4 year olds how to do it, but they quickly learned my correct name and knew they should respect me. (I gave a little at the beginning with the ESL kiddos.) I had an aide a few years ago that wanted to be call Mrs. firstname. The students that knew her the year before treated her like one of the kids and wanted to pal around. (she was 45+) When she came to my class, I asked her to use her last name. The respect changed instantly. So I will forever ask my aides to use their last names, and I will too.
My name at school is Mrs. Sheila ~ and in no way do I feel like I am on the same level as my 3 year olds, nor do they portray that kind of an attitude to me. For that I am very thankful, because respect is a big deal in my classroom. And what three year old doesn't just say 'TEACHER!" when they are caught in a moment of need or frustration?! LOL ETA: I am in a very small personable development center located in a church, and from the deep south. Maybe that is why it doesn't bother me as much.
I go by Ms. and my last name. I have a friend who's children call me Miss. Jaime. They feel that children need to respect adults and that we should have a title. I'm fine with this, it is there children. When I have children I'll talk to them about what they would like my children to call them. I think I am a little off topic.
It really depends on the person. I have seen teachers that go by Mrs. First name and the students treat them with great respect and I have seen teachers that go by Mrs. Last name and have no control at all. I have worked in 12 different schools and with a lot of different teachers. I really don't think it's the name so much as the teachers attitude.
It depends on the school culture. In my current school, we go by first names, and I love it. I just don't feel the need for littles ones to learn last names. In a previous school, we went by Ms. Firstname, and that eeked me out, but we were southern, so I went with it. When I was in public schools, I was MsWK, but people who knew I was married would constantly call me MrsWK, which eeked me out even more because I didn't take my husband's last name, and I'm not married to my dad! Anyway, I would go with either first names or Ms. Lastname, but not an abbreviation. I've heard teachers with incredibly hard last names and their children can get it right... it's just another word to them.
As far as pronounciation goes, I don't see anything wrong with a teacher who goes by, Ms. P. or Mr. S. That to me is a lot better than having a 3 year old calling you Sandy, or Bob. I think it is much more than the attitude of the staff. It does, IMO, set a certain tone when children are allowed to be on the same level as adults. Just look at our culture in general, and the customer service/retail business. How many times have you felt insulted when a caller addressed you by your first name? They don't know you that well, they are trying to get you to buy something, or pay a bill??? And if I am mad and arguing about a bill, I sure don't want you calling me by my first name. It is just a matter of respect. The standard greeting should be, "Hello, may I speak to Mr./Ms. So-n-so. And then, they would say, "May I call you Sarah?" It should be our choice to allow them to be less formal with us. Even at Wal-Mart, the younger girls and guys know who is grown, and who isn't. (I have to admit, I look pretty young ) So far, they have been pretty good, and talk to everyone respectfully. I don't mind having a teenager supervising me, as long as they are respectful. But I do notice lately that they will call us grownups, Ms. and Mr., and I especially notice that they will speak to us by saying Ms. and Mr. when they are off, and come to the store to buy things.
My last name is long and really two names combined (with a space, no hyphen)--mine and my husband's. The students usually call me Mrs. DM (my two last name initials). It works out for me and for them. Oh, and I should add that 90% of the time, they don't call me anything other than "Miss." I don't mind that either and don't find it disrespectful. It's evidently a regional or cultural thing around here (we sure didn't do it when I was in school).
I think it does depend somewhat on the school culture. I tried Mrs. Firstname one year and I had no problem with respect from the kids - I think that comes from your mangement/teacher skills no matter what the name they use. My problem came from the parents. They did not show the respect they show when I use Mrs. Lastname. They had more of an attitude that I was a baby sitter than a teacher-which can sometimes be a problem with Pre-K parents. I will never use Mrs. Firstname again because of this.
Good point about the parents....I wonder if I would be treated more like a "teacher" if I was Mrs. Last Name and not Ms. First Name. My last name is tricky and I don't mind the kids calling me Ms. 1st name at all. I also get "teacher" alot from the youngest, which I know in K around here they really seem to frown on, I really don't mind that either.
I think sometimes it's hard to get used to being a Mrs. Whatever. During student teaching, it was hard to be a Ms. but I got used to it. I just never hear that unless it's a salesperson or something calling. =) I was a before and after school supervisor and I was just first name. I did NOT like that, I felt like students were disrespectful because they looked at me as a friend/babysitter instead of a supervisor. That was just what they did there. I think that putting a Ms or Mrs or any of those and a first or a last name does command more respect. It makes the students think a little bit differently of you. I was looking forward to being Mrs. W... but when I got my contract, it said something about returning it to Miss Tory- so I'm thinking that they may go by first names there. So I guess I'm fine with that, but all my books will say Mrs. W on their labels. So kids will have to get used to it. I was in a really diverse 4th grade class with a lot of asian students and they always just called me teacher teacher. (Sometimes just one teacher.) =) That was a really great class!
"We" teachers are all first name with the kids and the parents and we all call the parents by their first names. No problem with respect for one another.
I wouldn't mind going by Cassie professionally, rather than Mrs. DM. It's just not part of our school culture. Boo!
You know, the more I think about it those who are less respectful than I would like would probably act the same no matter what my name is and those who are great would still be great.
My last name is Greek...and it's hard for people to get sometimes...lol...so they either attempted it...or called me Ms. V
we use first names. I don't find it disrespectful. Some parents prefer to have their child put miss in front of it. I agree withthe person that said they didn't feel it was a sign of disrespect. I'd mcuh rather have a child respectfully call me by my first name than call my miss---- or mrs----and be disrespectful anyway. Authority and respect are about repore with parents and students and how I present myself not what my name is---i am in a private christian center and don't have to answer to the public school system--even our director uses her fist name with both the children and the parents.
I have taught a variety of ages I have been Miss Christyn, Miss Mattingly(maiden name), Mrs. Christyn, Mrs. King and now will be Ms. King or Ms. K. I do not feel that the title and my first name is direspectful at all. I think the way it is said is what makes it disrespectful. I grew up in a home where we were taught that to show respect to our friends parents, family friends etc were Miss(Ms.) ___________ or Mr. ____________ I have raised my own children that way. I am always told how respectful my children are. I think it also depends on how the teacher presents themselves to the children and parents.
At my current school, it's our choice, so pretty much, the "younger side" of the building (infants up to 2's) uses Miss Firstname (or just Firstname, depending what the kids can say), and we use Ms. Lastname for the older side of the building. Our floaters generally use their first name, but we've told them they can go by whatever they want. Sometimes the office will page me and ask for Emily, and my kids all go "who is Emily!?!?!?!" and they think it's hilarious. The kids don't think it's a big deal, and neither do we... you're called what you want to be called, and that's about it.
