… to think that “Miss” and “Sir” for teachers is not equivalent?

[wallpoppy]

Just that really. Children say “miss” for female teachers of any age or seniority, but it’s “sir” for male teachers. As titles outside of school they aren’t remotely equivalent. It should Miss, mrs. or ms. surname for women and Mr. surname for men.

I preferred "Miss" to "oi".

I think sir and miss is outdated. Much better to just call them Miss/Mrs/Mr X. That is what they did at my children's girl. There is no need for the Miss , Sir nonsense.

I get 'teacher' 😬

I only get upset if I get "Nan." I'm only just in forties with very few grey hairs!

The school I trained at was Sir and M'am. Surprised more don't do this tbh.

Well quite ,i used to be a mental health nurse and preferred people call me by my actual name but often got nurse or miss ,instead of mumsnet deceiding how teacher, s should be addressed maybe we should ask them?

Surely the equivalent is Ma'am, or Madam? As in Dear Sir or Madam?

I'm in Ireland. My DC secondary school use 'Oide' which translates directly as 'educator' but really teacher. Works for male & female teachers. I really like it.

In primary it's always just Mr / Ms Name (as in not Miss / Sir)

I get the point re Sir / Miss but I think Noble's point is the most relevant. The kids don't think anything of either moniker

Those really bugs me because I feel it automatically puts the women at a lower level in comparison to the men.
It's archaic
It patriarchal and feels patronising

Yet every time I raise it I'm made put to be unreasonable - what is the alternative to Miss?

It doesn’t matter. It’s just for kids to be able to relate politely to adults. There is no need to read too much into this. Schools have much more important things to focus on.

In our school we are Mrs/ Miss Lastname. Male staff are Mr Lastname. Occasionally Teacher or Mum! The only people who have ever called me Miss are visiting (almost always) secondary school staff- including my DH!

My pupils all know my first name and I am
happy for parents to use it, but must admit that I like to be called 'Mrs JustFiveMinutes'. I don't know why but it feels more respectful than using my first name. I always think teachers using their first names sound a bit too try hard, too down with the kids, but I'm probably being old fashioned.

First names work with older children and university students, maybe even at private schools with respect and exemplary behaviour ingrained, but many try tirelessly to blur the boundary between teachers and pupils and I think this would be another blow. 'Pass is a pencil Michelle, is this on the test Geoff' just doesn't sit right with me.

No idea what the answer is with sir and a female equivalent. Pupils only use those if they don't know our names at my school.

This must vary by area as I've never heard anyone call a male teacher 'Sir' - where I am it's always Miss/Mrs Surname and Mr Surname

I know I should care, but I don't. I get called all sorts: miss, mum, sir, that cunt over there i hate 'er.

I don't think most kids even register it. I'm a Mrs Moth, and introduce myself as such, and I still get kids asking:"are you miss or Mrs?" On their books. Some now even ask what the difference is. Or, when told I'm Mrs, ask if I'm married.

Even when they're talking directly to the teacher?
Mrs moth, have you got a pen?
Mrs moth, how much longer is this lesson?
Mrs moth, can you look at this?
Mrs moth, what time is it?
Mrs moth, she's poking me.

I have been a teacher for over 20 years . Being called miss has never bothered me . It doesn’t make me feel any less capable or respected than a male colleague being called Sir .

I recently interviewed in a school where female staff were called either by name, or madam/ma'am. I rather liked it.

No, how a teacher engages with a pupil is what commands respect.
I’ve been a teacher for 30+ years, been called Miss, Mrs Surname, Mum and don’t give a monkeys about which way I’m addressed. ( although I didn’t really like being called a cunt by one particularly belligerent boy).
In primary schools, lots of the male staff get called Miss too!

I am a supply teacher and as such I've met and worked with a lot of teachers; I've never met one who wants to be referred to as "ma'am" but that may be because here in our part of Yorkshire we call our mums "mam" so it would feel too strange.

Personally I don't mind what they call me as long as it's respectful.

In one school there was a man in the dining hall (the only one I've ever seen); the children called him "sir" but he was a dinner man rather than a dinner lord.

Which ironically is something that many of us did by mistake at least once at school!

YANBU. It's totally unnecessary. I managed to go through three schools in very different places where teachers went by their own names so I don't understand why it would be confusing or disrespectful not to call them Sir or Miss.

I particularly hate it when staff lists use Esq. for male teachers and females get Miss or Mrs.

At dd's school all staff were referred to by their first name. They also used parents' first names which I much preferred to being referred to as Mum.

Sir and Madam at our uk state school.

I don't find the generic 'Miss' offensive, but on balance I do think it's better when schools expect pupils to address teachers by name. It's quite irritating when you're in a communal area like a corridor or a canteen and kids say 'Miss?' and all the female teachers turn around!

Teachers have to remember a lot of students' names. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask students to bother to use their teachers' names. I've taught at private and state, secondary and primary. At all the private schools and primary schools the students used Mr X, Mrs Y etc. At all the comprehensives it was just miss and sir.

When I was at school (70s & 80s) it was always Mrs/Mr Lastname, I never heard anyone called Miss, or Sir. One of my DC's schools used Sir & Ma'am (as in jam, never marm).