“Miss” and “Sir” in schools

[MyCleverGrayBear]

Been to lots of secondary school open days recently. At the state secondaries the children showing parents around etc called the teachers “Sir” and “Miss”. Is that normal? I haven’t heard this IRL ever.

(To be clear, “Miss, this parent wants to know about languages at school” vs “Mrs Jones, this parent would like to see the sports centre”. But also in a couple of classrooms there were children constantly saying “Miss, look at this, Miss, I’ve out the sign up, Miss, shall I stand here” etc and it was incredibly grating.)

And why are female teachers “Miss” and make teachers “Sir”? I felt like I was in a bad 80’s Grange Hill episode and Benny Hill was about to run in and chase me 🫣

Yes this is normal - I went to school in 90 and 2000's.

The female teachers at our local, state school are called Ma'am.

I'm knackered. It's been a long day, and a pupil in Y9 is asking how to sign in to computer club. I teach History. I've no idea what they are supposed to do, but the computer teacher is walking away from me down the corridor. His name is Mike. I've forgotten what his surname is, because I call him 'Mike' on the odd occasion I've spoken to him and because there are well over 100 staff in the place and I don't know him very well.

I don't care if it's a no no from you. I'm going to call, 'Excuse me, Sir!' and when he turns round I'll say, 'Could you help this pupil sign in? They want to join you in computer club'.

Or words to that effect. This is what I'd do in front of a pupil. In front of staff (which I've just realised the quote says) I'd call him Mike, obviously. Not Sir.

It’s not that you have to it’s more that’s just what kids do. In our school no one said you must call this teacher Miss or Sir it just was. Miss can I go to the toilet etc. This is primary though, secondary it’s more likely you’ll just say their full title but of course between yourselves you’ll have thought up some more ‘personalised’ names to give them. 😬

Back when I was at school we were expected to call the male staff Sir. I told them unless they had been mentioned in the Queen's honours list I would certainly not be calling them Sir, they would be Mr whatever their name was. I think I got a detention for being so cheeky but I never did call any of them Sir

Sir is such a load of bollocks.

Initiated by people who want to be addressed like they have a bit of power

When I was newly qualified and still 21, my first interview for a teaching post, was at a (state) school where female teachers were called Ma'am. When I was being shown round and hearing the kids doing so, I REALLY didn't want to work there.
Fortunately the next day I had an interview elsewhere, and got that job before the first school got back to me.

I would much prefer Miss to Ma'am. Fortunately I spent most of my career in special schools where it was first names.

Cringe. I would hate to be called ma’am.

another here saying its very normal to say miss or sir.

Oh, I thought that the kids had to.

But then if everyone does it apart from you, you are going to stand out and most kids don't want to do that.

No-one did it at either of my schools.

It’s absolutely fine!

Although in my niece’s school they have a non binary born female teache the students are required to call Mx 🙄

I think schools need to evolve beyond being authoritarian.

A lot of the school system is based on the idea of leaders having total power over children and the teens.

The children and teens have no rights and no say.

It's not right.

And yes I've worked in a school recently and seen it

I went to three high schools and it was all the same. Miss and Sir. My last high school was very small and we called teachers by their first names apart from the head teacher who was “Miss Surname”. We’d still call her Miss though.

If that were an Olympic sport MN would be top of the gold medal table!

Perfectly normal at open days etc. Or Miss/Mr/Mrs/Dr Dweet at other times.

Schools are set up the way they are to get people to forget their own power, stop individual thinking, and take orders from leaders.

It's designed to control. And then it shapes people to be controlled and take orders in the workplace, and from the government..

Exactly, some MNers have a very narrow life! Even the better shops refer to Sir and Madam, what are they expected to say, 'you guys' maybe?

Calling male teachers Mr and female teachers Madam would denote some sort of inequality / difference in rank or respect, I agree.

So why isn’t that the same when male teachers are called Sir and female teachers Miss?

I’m not from the UK but it does seem to have sexist connotations to me personally. But that’s just my personal impression.

Your funny. Reminds me of sociology lessons in the60s

I was at school in the 60s/70s and I think we were probably exposed to a lot of sit coms and tv shows centred on school (Please Sir comes to mind) where all teachers were pretty much Sir and Miss. it honestly meant nothing to us as kids, no sexism in our young heads. It’s more common in primary schools by the time you’re at senior school it’s more natural to use full titles more often (though perhaps not all the time). Yes Miss, no Sir etc was still used. I suppose to me as a child of the 60s/70s it all seems to be a fuss about nothing.

It was usual in Junior & Infant schools, but not in Secondary schools.
We had to address teachers with title & surname, e.g. Dr. Jones, Mrs. Smith etc. & were told off if we slipped up & used "Miss".

I am Miss at my school. There are far too many teachers to remember everyone’s names. Easier for the kids and easier for staff.

I don't think it's normal in Scotland? I called my teachers Mr Jones/Mrs Brown/Miss Reid, depending on their title. I don't have any friends educated in Scotland who used Sir and Miss, although that's not to say it doesn't happen.
I have lived and worked in both Scotland and England, and found it very strange to be called "Miss" when I worked in education in England!

When DH was a teacher he was regularly called Dad by confused pupils. Just habit, I guess. But never Grandad, that would have definitely bruised his ego!

Oh yes, and then they slink away cringing with embarrassment if it's a secondary school! I once heard an Ofsted inspector referred to as Mum, she quietly muttered out of the boy's hearing 'Not bloody likely!'.