What would a non binary teacher be addressed as?

[GemGEmGemster]

dd’s school expects all teachers to be addressed as ‘sir’ or ‘miss’. She’s just asked me what a non binary teacher would be called. Any ideas?

SD1978 but teachers frequently tell their classes to call them "Mrs Surname" or "Dr Surname" or "Miss Surname" or "Mr Surname" and explicitly ask not to be called just Miss or just Sir yet (at least at secondary where children have ten + teachers and see dozens more around the place) they always, always forget and always, always use just Miss or just Sir some of the time.

You're all so sensitive. It's really not hard to refer to somebody as their preferred pronouns whether that's miss, mr, or mx. What difference does it make to your life?

@accidentlygothereagain

You're all so sensitive. It's really not hard to refer to somebody as their preferred pronouns whether that's miss, mr, or mx. What difference does it make to your life?

How would ‘Mx.’ be pronounced?

Let's hope they aren't the biology teacher

[quote GemGEmGemster]Actually, we just found this which has answered our question nonbinary.wiki/wiki/Gender_neutral_titles#:~:text=A%20gender%20neutral%20title%20is,first%20or%20last%20name%20only.[/quote]
But you decided to post on mumsnet before googling.

Do they say it with a straight face?

Can't imagine the majority of kids at my DC's school saying that with a straight face.

What does non-binary even mean? Not conforming to regressive sex stereotypes? Most people don't. It doesn't turn you into a mythical third sex.

It's concerning that teachers are coercing children into having to pretend a man isn't a man or a woman isn't a woman.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme I understand that, and agree. But unless it's wilful and continued misnaming (not a word I know)! Then the kids will get used to it, and will remember to. The teacher would also have to accept that it would happen for a while and not crack a wobbly every time. This is going to, theoretically, start to become more common, if the sheer number of those choosing to identify as 'other' start to become more common- it's not an issue now, but those that have started to identify in other ways will start to become teachers within the next few years- seeing as it's a teenage/ early twenties phenomenon/ thing. Also given kids seems to be firmly on the self indetifying band wagon, I'd assume it'll be conceptually easier for them, than their parents.

I'd choose Sensei. Quite fancy being called Mooncup-san, too.

[wax on, wax off...]

It's concerning that teachers are coercing children into having to pretend a man isn't a man or a woman isn't a woman

Yes, this is much more of a problem.

@VivienneDelacroix

You don't say - "do you know who was sitting there, it's left it's coat?" Do you *@sandynorm* ? You say "they've left their coat".

"Everyone loves their mother."
"Someone is humming, could they stop please".

Singular they has been in use for at least 600 years, don't pretend it's not a thing to suit you're own agenda.

Anyway, as others have said, generally they would use Mx. It's not hard to get your head round using non-gendered titles. I had a teacher called Dr Smith, we didn't call her Miss or Mrs, we called Dr Smith, because someone's title is their own choice. (Oh look, there's that pesky singular "their" again).

No, it wouldn't say "it's left it's coat" - partly the possessive would be "its" without an apostrophe. His, her, its. I would use 'it' for an unspecified gender, like "the cat's hurt its paw", so I'm suggesting the grammar would be right to do this.

You've also written "you're agenda". Just because (lots of?) people say or write things a certain way, this doesn't make it accurate.

Surely the teacher just tells the students how they want to be addressed whether that’s miss, sir, mx, teacher, or anything else.

Kids aren’t stupid, they’ll manage.

Seems like an unlikely issue to actually come across.

I'd describe myself as mildly gender critical but whatever pronouns Individual people want to use, is fine by me. I dont have to subscribe to it, and would never post my own pronouns etc because irrelevant to me, I am not Miss or Mrs, and Ms means nothing to me. Xe or Ze feel performative and as if they are foregrounding something that's an irrelevance for me. However, it's no skin off my nose to refer to someone else by their pronouns.

If an adult is non binary, you can still sort of tell their sex though, can't you? Nb biological woman looks like a good few of the girls I went to school with: short hair, no makeup, shapeless clothes. But generally more female features and quite often, stereotypically female body language.Nb binary male may look like the lads I went to school with: eye liner, long hair. Or possibly hair just a bit longer than usual.

We have Mx in my kid's school. Seems crazy that science is one of the subjects they teach. Must be difficult, to teach something as fact when they pretend it's not.

They'll get called whatever respectful title the students think is appropriate I imagine, because making a fuss would not help to build relationships, and teachers need a fairly thick skin. You could tell the kids to address you as Mix, or Mux, or Mex, or whatever, but I'd wager on about a 50% success rate to start with.

I'm Mrs F, but I've been Miss, Mrs, Sir, Mum, etc. one year 11 boy got a proper mental block one lesson and called me mum about ten times. As long as it's not 'hey arsehole' I just carry on as if they've said 'Mrs F'.

@Soontobe60

Pronouns - Miss, Mrs, Sir are based on a persons sex, and not gender.

Good point.

Tedious?

Good luck with the gender critical crowd here. Generally ask what they prefer to be called. I'm genderfluid and I wouldn't care.

I'm gender critical and also would not care. GC and outrage about others' choices don't always go together. It is entirely possible to personally disregard gender woo whilst respecting others' rights to identify however they wish in most circumstances.

I'm more Jeyesfluid myself

They use Mx at my sons school. Which they seem to say as 'mixed'

Wonnle

@Just10moreminutesplease

Surely the teacher just tells the students how they want to be addressed whether that’s miss, sir, mx, teacher, or anything else.

Kids aren’t stupid, they’ll manage.

Agree. Kids aren't stupid, and generally seem to be more open, accepting and laidback about NB people than many adults, so I really can't see this situation, which op has already admitted is entirely imaginary, would pose any kind of issue.

@NeverDropYourMooncup I was trying to think of sensei but my mind went blank.