New Teacher keeps shortening DS' name

[Cjamm]

DS(6)' New year one teacher stared this half term, so has only been his teacher for the last two weeks.

DS is called Ulrick, it's a family name & because my Dad & Grandad go by nicknames, we've never shortened his name, he's always just gone by his full name.

First day of the new term, he complained that the new teacher kept calling him Rick & he doesn't like it as its his Grandads name. I told him to just tell her to stop & use his full name.

The next day he complained again but that this time he told her but she still kept calling him Rick and by the end of the 2nd week he was getting rather upset over it as the kids in his class had started calling him Rick & he really hates it, so at drop off last Monday I told her he'd prefer to be called Ulrick & she said "thanks for letting me know" so I assumed she'd start calling him by his full name.

Then that same evening DS complained about her still calling him Rick & I promised to have another word with her. I managed to speak to her at pick up on Wednesday & was pretty clear that calling him Rick upset him & could she use his full name. She seemed sorry to have upset him & said she would use his full name from now on.

Thursday the school was being used as a polling station & then Friday was a teacher training day, so no school until today. I got home from work & DS was upset as I'd promised his teacher wouldn't call him Rick anymore but she had

I don't know if she's just forgotten but I've mentioned it more then once now & DS has said that he's told her he doesn't like being called Rick multiple times

He was really upset by it & if it was just the teacher calling him Rick I might have just ignored it as she's only his teacher for a few more weeks but now kids in class have started calling him Rick & it really does bother him.

I don't really know what to do, would it be an overreaction to ask for a meeting? I've already told her he doesn't like her shortening his name, she's agreed not to do it but still does it.

Perhaps have a word with her about the significance of the full name and your preference that it be used?

We have a similar thing with one of my DC name is long but their is a very commonly used shortened version of it - similar to say Sebastian and Seb one day usual teacher was off another teacher was taking the register just as we walked in she shouted "Seb Smith" - cue chorus of twenty or so 5 year odds saying "his name isn't Seb - it's Sebastian" - was funny 😀teacher may just be assuming he prefers shortened version

but difficulty is once a shortened version is being constantly bandied about everyone starts using it and it's harder to get back to the original/preferred name.

I think you were absolutely within your rights to email the Head at this stage OP.

Our DS has a name than can be shortened. And of course I fully expect his peers to shorten it, in fact a lot of them have already. But I also fully expect the teachers/sports trainers and whatever other professionals who deal with him to address him by his full name - particularly when they've been in my company and hear that I only ever use the full name. I think its proper etiquette and professional. And I'm certainly not one of those parents.

Hopefully that will be the end of it now, I think you've handled it really well.

Sorry just read updated thread

Think you did the right thing - also I have never heard of the name Ulrich and would never have thought to shorten it to Rick not in the way some names are naturally shortened say Alexander to Alex or whatever. And being such an unusual name it would definitely stick in my head. It also isn't a very long name like Isabella Rose or that type of thing so is no real need for shortening of it - whole thing a bit weird

Maybe she LOVES the name Rick😀

I agree with most (apart from 'User' of course, sod off its not entitled at all)

Thats his name, thats what she should call him. End of. Its not difficult, its not a memory test, its just his name.

My sons name is shortened at home but they asked him at school what he wanted them to call him and he wanted the full name, and thats what he has been called by every teacher he has had, old, new and passing through!

His best mates call him by the shortened version out of school and he is fine with that.

Its really disrespectful that you cant be bothered to call someone by their own name, makes you look ignorant tbh.

Love how 'user' has chose to be unidentifiable, in the way they've logged on. You must be one of those awful teachers who thinks teaching is about giving a worksheet to a child and then sits at your desk, discreetly replying to texts. If you have this shit attitude on here, I pity the kids who come across you.

OP, YANBU.......AT ALL!!!

Success!! Just got home & DS was delighted because his teacher called him by his full name throughout the whole day, no slip ups & corrected a few kids that called him Rick. It looks like she's finally listening.

Excellent result OP. Shame it took such extreme measures

Interesting that it took the Head's involvement before she took it seriously.

That's great to hear, OP.

Any other issues, go direct to the Head.

Result! 🏆

I like the fact that I can spot a number of teachers on this thread all saying it's not OK, and that a child of any age should be called by their proper name. I agree.
Glad the teacher has finally woken up and got a grip on her casual attitude.
Loved some of the suggestions, but he's only 6. Now, a Y6 boy might well love the opportunity to try out some of the strategies suggested!
If she reverts, I would take it to the head though.

Oh, and she's getting a reminder every time she calls the register, every time she hands out his book, every time she looks at her groups for maths or literacy or reading.

well done op shame it took going to the head to change her though

my name was apparently unpronouncable in chool noone could say it properoly so now ive come to hate it which upsets my dad-then again he doesnt have to live with it

blanche youre my hero wish id started singing in the middle of a lesosn

How is it "trivial" or being "one of those parents" to want your child to be called by his actual name and not be upset at school every day?! OP didn't go in all guns blazing, she tried to deal with the issue with an informal chat and only followed it up when the issue wasn't resolved. It was distracting her child at school to be repeatedly expected to respond to the wrong name. I think TBH it would annoy anyone if someone called you the wrong name every day and ignored you when you tried to correct them. It's not fair on a 6 year old to expect them to deal with that alone, OP was just helping her son.

Great result - hope she keeps it up BUT she really shouldn't have needed you to take it this far op.

His name, his choice. I have the other problem DS3 has a one syllable name which can be short for a longer name which people often call him. He hates it and got to the point where he just ignored people including teachers. I was called into a meeting because he was "being rude", the teacher explained that very often when she called him he didn't listen. At this point DS3 got up to go. She called him the longer name and told him to sit down. He ignored her and carried on. "DOK you see what I mean?" She said. I replied "He isn't ignoring you, you aren't talking to him!" She used his proper name from then on

That would really annoy me. I would be tempted to shorten her name!! I'm really hoping her name is Mrs Dickson!!! "Oh hello Mrs Dick!" She'll stop calling your son Rick soon

None of my kids have ever had their names shortened and one has a three syllable name.

I'm a Year 1 teacher and in this scenario I would lightheartedly tell the class that my brain is a bit fuzzy at the moment and I keep getting muddled and calling Ulrick Rick at the moment by accident. I would then publically apologise and ask the children to correct me every time I get it wrong. That will nip it in the bud and they'll correct everyone else getting it wrong too! :)

Oh and I would not go to the head about something like this. Just make a lighthearted joke about it next time you see her and ask her if she could get the children to remind her. I'm sure she's not doing it on purpose. She probably has a lot on plate and is not getting much sleep.

We have the same problem with our son's name 'Samuel'.....except it's not his teachers or friends, it's bloody family who insist on calling him Sammy and we absolutely hate it. It makes my toes curl. We've told them to stop and he's told them to stop and said 'my names not Sammy'. Poor bugger then gets told off for not answering them when they address him as Sammy - his snarky reply of 'well it's not my name' didn't go down well! 6 years later and it still winds me up :(

Just out of interest, what else can it be shortened to?

Time to talk to the head. I get cross if people spell my daughter's name wrong. This is totally unacceptable and he should get a star or house point everytime his teacher gets it wrong (it helps the teacher to mentally make the effort to get it right and a method I use if I get kids names wrong!) They need to call him by his name. I would suggest to your son that he only reply to Ulrick as this is his name.

I would go up to her and ask 'What is his name' (obvs child with you)
See if it's that he doesn't hear it all, doesn't realise that she is talking to him until he hears the 'Rick' at the end.
Get him a name badge.
when you see her shorten her name 😂😂😂

This is not a trivial issue

I work in a school and I'd see this as bullying - what else would you call it when someone (an adult in a position of power or authority) who deliberately does something that they know upsets a child; something they could easily avoid.

It's disrespectful