What should the students call you?

[andyjkf]

My last name is kinda difficult so I dont want to make them say that.  Id like to use my first name, but I am young so feel weird going by Mr. or Sr.  What should I do?

[justanotherwaygook]

My last name is kinda difficult so I dont want to make them say that.  Id like to use my first name, but I am young so feel weird going by Mr. or Sr.  What should I do?

Andrew Teacher, Andy Teacher etc.

Yes, I'm serious, this is very normal.  I'd go as far as to say it's the standard (if there is one).

[Jozigirl]

It depends on what level you teach.  I have a few students who tack the 'teacher' on at the end of my name but most of them use just my first name which is what I prefer.  I teach high school though.  If I were teaching elementary, I'd probably go with your name and teacher at the end which seems to be commonly used here. 

[skiptomylu]

I'm the same and would prefer not to be called Mr. yet haha. My elementary students call me by my first name + teacher anyway so I'm glad.

[Paul]

I've always hated the first name basis stuff. It is essentially like placing yourself at the student's level, when you are their teacher, not their peer. Conversely, adding teacher to the end just promotes Konglish over English. I'd agree with the above poster that that seems to have become the standard, although I honestly am beginning to suspect through NT choice, not the Korean system (further reading: the Daegu email). Every Korean co-teacher I've met bar perhaps one has disliked it for being unauthentic.

Personally, if you hate the Mr/Ms Surname basis stuff, I'd recommend going with the full Korean version: Surname - Given Name - sonsengnim or plain "teacher". Recall though that Mister doesn't carry any age connotations except that you are aged 18/21 or above, depending on nationality (prior to that you are technically a Master, still Mr). I strictly use Ms. to refer to female Korean staff in front of the students as I feel it is the least likely to cause offence.

Other alternatives exist too. I've heard "Coach" used before in non-PE settings. I've also heard abbreviations such as "Mr. K" and "Ms. P".

I'd avoid "sir" as in the Commonwealth, it can be seen as patronising to the point of being blatantly offensive and you don't wish to risk placing a student travelling abroad in an awkward situation.

[benmoran]

they call me teacher ben or mr moran you should use your names in theis style also

[Wiens]

I completely agree with Paul's post, but have one thing to add. I believe it is important to explain to students why they are to call you whatever name you choose. For my students they call me "first name" Teacher. I began to have some students simply call me "first name" but that can cause discipline challenges because they begin to you view you as a friend that happens to teach them and not a teacher that can be friendly. There is a BIG difference. So I explain that my friends call me "first name" but they need to call me "first name" teacher. The students agree and we move on.

[kennetic]

I get Ken teacher or just Teacher. I don't mind either way since i don't have the time to memorize all my students names. Fair is fair.

[eveliens]

I completely agree with Paul's post, but have one thing to add. I believe it is important to explain to students why they are to call you whatever name you choose. For my students they call me "first name" Teacher. I began to have some students simply call me "first name" but that can cause discipline challenges because they begin to you view you as a friend that happens to teach them and not a teacher that can be friendly. There is a BIG difference. So I explain that my friends call me "first name" but they need to call me "first name" teacher. The students agree and we move on.

This is similar to what I ended up doing. If the kids just call me by my first name, I ignore them completely. After a few tries, they usually remember or give up [if they were testing me].

[theoperator]

My last name is difficult even for native english speakers so I shortened it to one letter.

Mr. E

I have elementary kids so most of the time they just call me teacher or Mr E (depending on age)


I'm young but I know I should draw that line of teacher / friend

[keaiguoren]

my kids go back and forth calling me teacher(just like that) or rapha

no worries, actually I think a funny name sometimes even helps kids to like you /remember you (in the beginning)

[pak yu man]

I understand the Korean way, but I don't understand why foreigners let them call them names the Korean way.  Mr. John is wrong (unless John is your last name).  Hey teacher is rude, and John teacher is not the English way.  You are here to teach.  Not just the language, but manners and culture as well.  When you were young you called your neighbour Mr. lastname.  When you went to school you called your teacher Mr. lastname.   If you can't handle that...they don't teach. 

Korea/Korean is all about hierarchy and titles.  By letting them use your first name you are lowering yourself in their eyes/are worth less respect.

[mystletoe3]

I also let my kids call me either "[First name]-Teacher" or just "Teacher".  Since they are Korean children they already understand this categorization of me.  I do not let them just call me by my first name.  As for whether or not they respect you that I believe comes through what you demand and earn in your classroom.  I have had teachers in the states that used Mr/Ms/Miss/Mrs that were not as respected as those that requested we refer to them by their first name - and vice-versa.  But that's just my two cents I could be wrong.

[Tpre022]

When you were young you called your neighbour Mr. lastname.  When you went to school you called your teacher Mr. lastname.

I really didn't. Some teachers (Maybe about a third of them?), but certainly not neighbours. I'm from New Zealand, so maybe that's an NZ thing.

I introduced myself by just my first name, since my last is hard to pronounce, but since I've heard people talking about hierarchies and levels of respect I'm torn on whether that was a good idea or not. For what it's worth, people in the school seem to view this as just a thing foreigners do, not directly linked to respect levels. The head teacher introduced herself to me by her name instead of head teacher-nim, for example.

[nessalinds]

I just started at an elementary school and my co-teachers actually asked me today what I want to be called by the students.  I said I liked the idea of being called (first name) teacher mostly because I found it more appealing than being called Ms. (last name) which sounds so formal.  While it may not be the same way I called my teachers growing up, I don't believe it to be a big deal and do not find it to be disrespectful.  The 'hey teacher' thing I would correct though.  It does sound rude, so I would have them say just "teacher" or "excuse me, teacher."

[Jozigirl]

Korea/Korean is all about hierarchy and titles.  By letting them use your first name you are lowering yourself in their eyes/are worth less respect.

I disagree.  I remember struggling over several teachers' names when I was kid - I was always grateful when the more difficult ones were unmarried teachers who then changed their names when they got married - usually to something much easier to pronounce. 

When I taught kindergarten and elementary kids back home, I was called Teacher Sarah.  Teacher + first name was simply what was used because last names were usually more difficult to pronounce.  I wouldn't respond to "Sarah Teacher" here (Konglish) but if the word order were reversed, I'd have no problem with it.  I've only been addressed as Miss + last name when teaching older students back home and I certainly didn't receive more respect for it.  At university, my students addressed me by my first name too - and I never experienced a decrease - or even lack - of respect as a result of it.  I have no doubt that my students here respect me despite calling me by my first name. 

I think that the respect comes based on how you engage with students and teachers more than what they call you.  Most people at my school can't stand the VP and generally talk so badly of him - he's not respected - but they use the appropriate title because they have to do so.  A title doesn't mean respect.

[marchingocelot]

When I taught kindergarten and elementary kids back home, I was called Teacher Sarah.  Teacher + first name was simply what was used because last names were usually more difficult to pronounce.  I wouldn't respond to "Sarah Teacher" here (Konglish) but if the word order were reversed, I'd have no problem with it.  I've only been addressed as Miss + last name when teaching older students back home and I certainly didn't receive more respect for it.  At university, my students addressed me by my first name too - and I never experienced a decrease - or even lack - of respect as a result of it.  I have no doubt that my students here respect me despite calling me by my first name. 

I think that the respect comes based on how you engage with students and teachers more than what they call you.  Most people at my school can't stand the VP and generally talk so badly of him - he's not respected - but they use the appropriate title because they have to do so.  A title doesn't mean respect.

Quoted for truth.

I've taught at an alternative elementary school back home, and there I was simply called by my first name, as were all the other teachers. It took a little time to get used to, as previously it was always Mr. [Surname], but after a while you get over it. What they call you is important, and you should set a boundary that they don't play with your name and make fun of it, but beyond that, it's just a way to address you. It should be respectful, but there are a lot of ways to show respect when addressing someone, and the exact components that come before or after a name are not the only (nor the most important) ways to measure the respect being given.

[mjoseph]

i get called teacher michael, it seems to be the trend here.

[flasyb]

I've always hated the first name basis stuff. It is essentially like placing yourself at the student's level, when you are their teacher, not their peer. Conversely, adding teacher to the end just promotes Konglish over English. I'd agree with the above poster that that seems to have become the standard, although I honestly am beginning to suspect through NT choice, not the Korean system (further reading: the Daegu email). Every Korean co-teacher I've met bar perhaps one has disliked it for being unauthentic.

Personally, if you hate the Mr/Ms Surname basis stuff, I'd recommend going with the full Korean version: Surname - Given Name - sonsengnim or plain "teacher". Recall though that Mister doesn't carry any age connotations except that you are aged 18/21 or above, depending on nationality (prior to that you are technically a Master, still Mr). I strictly use Ms. to refer to female Korean staff in front of the students as I feel it is the least likely to cause offence.

Other alternatives exist too. I've heard "Coach" used before in non-PE settings. I've also heard abbreviations such as "Mr. K" and "Ms. P".

I'd avoid "sir" as in the Commonwealth, it can be seen as patronising to the point of being blatantly offensive and you don't wish to risk placing a student travelling abroad in an awkward situation.

I'm going to have to disagree with a few points here. I'm not sure that (for example) students saying, "Gary teacher," is strictly Konglish. In Peru (and I assume across Latin America) the students naturally called teachers, "Teacher x" so the other way around to Korea. Sometimes they simply called us "profe" which I quite liked (sort of like, "Yo, teach!" but without the "yo").

Basically, the English language is changing and in the esl world at least, it's extremely common to hear, "Teacher x," or, "x Teacher." Probably more common to hear that than not. I much prefer it to "Mr x."

Also, I had no idea that "sir" was offensive across the commonwealth. I went to just a regular old state school in the UK and male teachers were called "Sir" and female teachers were called "Miss" (no last name used) unless they expressed a particular preference like "Mr/Miss/Mrs/Ms  X." Generally though, we don't use "Sir" as much as our friends across the pond do but then our customer service tends to be more curt and less courteous - and most of us actually prefer it that way.

I definitely don't think Pak yu man was on the right track by suggesting that if we don't insist on "Mr x" we shouldn't bother teaching. Incorporation of "teacher" is the future. It's not going to go away. And who would want it to? It's quite nice despite being different to what we say at home.

[MissC]

Easy answer - whatever you're comfortable with. We're the ones with all the cultural hangups, so we're really the only ones who can make that choice.

Personally, I think that they should use out last names, but I acknowledge that this is an opinion. I also acknowledge that my decision was probably founded more in my Victorian-style upbringing than in solid pedagogical technique.

A question for Paul:

I'd avoid "sir" as in the Commonwealth, it can be seen as patronising to the point of being blatantly offensive and you don't wish to risk placing a student travelling abroad in an awkward situation.

I grew up (in the US) using "sir" for unknown men and "miss" or "ma'am" for unknown women. So two questions:
1) What should I use instead of "sir" when I'm traveling about the Commonwealth?
2) Do "Miss" and/or "Ma'am" carry the same negative connotations? And what can/should I use instead?