Discussion » Questions » Education » Did you ever get into trouble at school for calling a teacher by their first name?
Thebigd

Did you ever get into trouble at school for calling a teacher by their first name?

I remember doing that once in high school. It was a teacher I really liked. He gave me an evil look and warned me to never do that again. Why do some teachers get offended by that?

Posted - November 25, 2022
Tag : Teacher by first name.

Responses


  • 13277
    No. Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes, ‘Tis, and Teacher Man, was my English teacher in high school. He preferred to be called Frank.
      November 25, 2022 10:20 AM MST
    5

  • 17604
    Very cool indeed.
      November 25, 2022 2:06 PM MST
    5

  • 44628
    I was raised to use Miss, Mrs and Mr. Also sir and ma'am. I preferred to be called sir, Mr or Chief.(my Navy rank).
      November 25, 2022 2:39 PM MST
    5

  • 17604
    As was I.  In school we could not use Miss for a married teacher.  We had to know how to address all teachers using their title and surname.  His or her name was always posted in the front of the class, usually on the chalkboard.   Looking back, I can see common traits among those old hags who were a Miss. This post was edited by Thriftymaid at December 4, 2022 9:56 PM MST
      November 26, 2022 12:27 PM MST
    3

  • 53510

     

    ( . . . a teacher . . . their his or her . . . )
      By using the singular noun, the pronoun must also be singular. In order to properly use the pronoun “their”, the noun would have to be “teachers” as opposed to “a teacher”.

      November 25, 2022 5:21 PM MST
    3

  • 16800
    Au contraire, English being a living language, usage changes. "His" and "her" are gender-specific, and as genderless singular third person pronouns have yet to be coined, the genderless plural "their" is considered acceptable as a singular pronoun in this day of inclusive language. Certain persons don't accept a gender, as gender identity resides in the brain and nowhere else - gender fluidity and neutrality are beginning to be understood and catered for. My sister's child is quite definitely a "they" - asexual. This post was edited by Slartibartfast at November 27, 2022 9:41 PM MST
      November 25, 2022 10:10 PM MST
    5

  • 13277
    But why is “persons” used instead of “people?” I have never understood that logic.
      November 25, 2022 10:14 PM MST
    2

  • 844
    "English being a living language..."
      November 26, 2022 1:00 PM MST
    2

  • 844
    "...as genderless singular third person pronouns have yet to be coined..." This is not true. There's anybody, anyone, each, no one, one, someone, who, whoever, whom, whomever (there may be more). I made the mistake of posting similar information on a British site with the pronoun "one" topping the list. Someone jumped all over the post as the pronoun "one" referred to the Queen at the time.
      November 26, 2022 1:11 PM MST
    3

  • 11036
    None of your examples are third person pronouns. 
      November 27, 2022 6:28 AM MST
    2

  • 844
    OK. What do you say they are?
      November 27, 2022 1:56 PM MST
    2

  • 53510

     



      I can’t miss one single second of this. (I’m so happy, folks!)
    ~

      November 27, 2022 2:07 PM MST
    2

  • 11036
    You got me. I should have said these are not possessive pronouns instead of using the term third person as was used in the original statement.. You cannot use your list of subject/object pronouns in place of a gendered possessive pronoun such as his or hers. E.g., ask your doctor for anyone's opinion is quite different than ask your doctor for his or her opinion. You are correct that there are pronouns that do not specify a gender, but I believe that the discussion was around whether it is acceptable to use 'their' in place of 'his/her'.  If you believe there is another option, please share it.
      November 27, 2022 3:21 PM MST
    3

  • 844
    No, the discussion was based on, "...as genderless singular third person pronouns have yet to be coined...". I headed my paragraph with the quote.

    You are correct about "their" as in your example, "Ask your doctor for their opinion". For a long while many people found the possessive pronouns "his/her" or "his or her" to be clumsy and used "their" in its place. It had nothing to do with gender identity.

    How nice I got to chat with Jane! I feel like I've arrived.
      November 27, 2022 5:50 PM MST
    2

  • 53510



      No, never, because it would have been both a breach of etiquette and grossly disrespectful. When I was in junior high school, we once had a substitute teacher introduce himself to us (after he had written his title and last name on the board) by telling the class that we could address him by his first name. I guess it was an attempt to be hip and cool. Not once did I use his first name, even though some fellow students did. I think we were split about half and half as to which choice we made. 

      A majority of my teachers I did not even know their first names, nor did I want to.
    ~

      November 25, 2022 5:27 PM MST
    7

  • 44628
    I had a college professor that everyone but me called him DD, his intitials. I called him Doctor Dollimor out of respect.
      November 26, 2022 8:27 AM MST
    5

  • 844
    As obedient children of the '50s, we would not have dreamed of doing such a thing. In high school all the teachers names were Sister Mary something. The principal was Father Turner but, behind his back, we called him Pancake. The height of hilarity for teenagers.
      November 26, 2022 1:17 PM MST
    5

  • 44628
    Sister Mary Elephant.
      November 26, 2022 7:24 PM MST
    4

  • 16800
    Nuns were always "Sister Mary" and their first names, that's etiquette for nuns.

    Other teachers were always "Mr" or "Mrs" surname - except for the high school Vice who replaced the Vice who was there when I started, who accepted a promotion to Principal at a neighbouring school. His replacement was an ineffectual wimp hight Lloyd, we called him "Mongo" to his face, as in "Mongo-Lloyd".
      November 26, 2022 11:54 PM MST
    3

  • 74
    Why should I call a nun "sister"?. She is not my sister. The same goes for calling a priest "father". He is not my father.
      November 29, 2022 7:42 AM MST
    1

  • 844
    I'm guessing that you're not Catholic school material.
      November 29, 2022 10:46 AM MST
    1

  • 74
    No I am not. I am Methodist.
      November 29, 2022 7:04 PM MST
    2

  • 16800
    Or hospital staff material either, "Sister" is the title of the head nurse on each ward.
      November 30, 2022 12:02 AM MST
    1

  • 7792
    When I started grade school, I already knew not to call any teacher by their first name.
      November 27, 2022 2:41 PM MST
    2