tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365490157576678001.comments2013-02-07T18:21:25.935-08:00Bored Teachers May Read ThisJaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05200065269414415618noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365490157576678001.post-16021433826181494872013-02-07T18:21:25.935-08:002013-02-07T18:21:25.935-08:00Sorry for the late response! It's the beginni...Sorry for the late response! It's the beginning of the new semester and has been busy! You probably know how that goes! Thanks for your comments, after reading your last paragraph and thinking about it a bit more, I think you are right. I think it would work at any level because respect isn't necessarily in the name. I totally relate to the interactions you have with students and parents in the "real world". Seeing them in the mall or wherever isn't different from school, it's just a continuation of the relationship you have with the students. We're definitely on the same page! Thanks for the response. Have a great day.Jaredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05200065269414415618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365490157576678001.post-43316047792870714812013-02-02T13:26:44.481-08:002013-02-02T13:26:44.481-08:00I am a bored teacher and very much enjoyed your po...I am a bored teacher and very much enjoyed your post. I think about this dichotomy sometimes, too.<br /><br />I started my teaching career at a traditional private school, where teachers were addressed as "Mr." or "Ms". This was the way I was brought up, too, so it never really occurred to me that things could be any different.<br /><br />I then moved the next year to a much more progressive school where everyone was on a first-name basis. I loved it, too. I vowed never again to work at a school where teachers weren't addressed by first name. It's become that central to my teaching practice.<br /><br />It made the relationships between students and faculty--as well as between faculty members--much more authentic. I found myself to be a much more grounded and confident teacher since the kids could call me by my first name. When their parents spoke to me, they didn't have to address me in the third person with their child standing right there. And, when I'd run into families in the supermarket down the street from the school, the interactions were much more genuine and natural.<br /><br />The parents I've dealt with generally don't have a hard time with the first-name thing. Of course, we are in Northern Calif., which has a pretty laid-back culture to begin with.<br /><br />I disagree with your comment about first-name basis being inappropriate for younger students. I've only worked at K-8 schools, and seen these schools be quite healthy and effective on a first-name basis.Losorlandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04390693497470800831noreply@blogger.com