Forms of Address
When I was in college, my professors always addressed me as "Mr. Huston." The practice of addressing a student with a title is something that I begin the first day of class & I believe that it's very important not to address a student by first name in class.
Using a title such as Mr, Mrs, Ms, or Miss helps from the beginning to establish appropriate boundaries between teacher & student. It's important because I think that students need to be reminded that:
(1) I'm here as your instructor & that's my role in this class: I'm not here to be your buddy;
(2) you're an adult now, not a child, so I'm addressing you as such & I expect you to behave accordingly;
(3) this is a career college & I'm here to model professional behavior, & the professional addresses clients, customers, superiors &, sometimes, even colleagues by title & surname unless & until they invite you to operate on a first-name basis;
(4) these are the ground rules for this classroom & you must conform here much as you will be expected to conform to corporate cultures wherever you go in your career.
More than anything else that I do, this incurs rebellion from my students. I have some who still insist on calling me by first name & fight tooth & nail to get me to do the same, But I won't cross that boundary in front of another student. I may address some students by first name privately when I'm certain that they can distinguish between the roles of teacher & friend.
Hello, Sam! [Or should I say Ms. Weber? ;-) ]
Yes, it is a reflection of cultural values. But it may also relect a conflict between values as well.
Most of my students would like to be on a first name basis with me immediately. But that can blur the lines of the teacher-student relationship. My preference for titles is to reinforce the respect for each other in our respective roles-- both teacher & student.
Just as you received a new name growing into womanhood, my students must earn the right to address me by first name (but outside the classroom) by demonstrating that they understand the boundaries of the student-teacher relationship.
Also, students need to learn how to conform to the practice of whatever culture (or subculture) that they would enter. Most have a great deal of experience in highly informal subcultures & with one-way formal interactions, but little experience with relationships requiring reciprocal formality. I never experienced this myself until I was in college, but it is normal in the professional world that my students expect to enter upon graduation.
By the way, my sister moved to Nashville, became a singer & of course, changed her name.
Daniel+
I believe this may be, in part, a cultural value regarding "forms of address." In my Native American culture, the highest form of respect is to call me by my first name, Sam. My "family" or "surname" is Anglonized to reflect the values of the dominant society; however, my Indian name is used by my family and all others use my first name to show respect, because the name Sam was chosen specially for me - not as a child, but as I grew into womanhood and my name changed to reflect that growth. Name changing is another cultural value that is not mirrored in the dominant society - except in Hollywood and Nashville - grin...
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for sharing your perspective on establishing the format for titles and boundaries. This is very important so the students will understanding the respective roles in the classroom. Once this understanding is in place then the class can proceed with the development of content and skill with minimum disruptions.
Gary
