Miss and Sir

[Pippidoeswhatshewants]

Dc is about to start secondary, and brought home a little leaflet about secondary school practicalities etc.
Apparently he is to address male teachers as Mr X or Sir and female teachers as Miss X or Mrs X or Miss.

This might be because I am a foreigner and not familiar with how secondary school works, but something about calling female teachers "Miss" just rubs me up the wrong way, maybe because the Fräulein has been history for a long time and I have always been Frau Pippi, even as a teenager.

What do you think about this as teachers? Non-issue?

Teachers don't actually have first names though. My 24 year old occasional babysitter used to go to my school and still won't use my first name. She evens sends us Christmas cards to "Mrs EvilTwins, Bob, Susie & Katie*"

• not their real names.

Which makes me

It would be cool though. still waiting for my Hogwarts letter

That's a good point Tiggytape - there are quite a lot of people seemingly called 'Miss' or 'Sir' at my dcs' schools, it's very difficult to keep track.

My students went through a phase of calling me my first name which was infinitely preferable to Miiiiissss, but it was stamped out by the deputy head. I was gutted.

I didn't do my schooling in the UK- we addressed all our teachers by Mr X, Mrs X or Miss X. I even had a Dr X at one stage!

When I started my teacher training here I was most distressed by the students calling me Miss- In fact I thought it quite rude that they couldn't be bothered to learn my name when I was doing my best to learn all of theirs!

3 years later I've gotten used to it, but I still don't understand why they can't just use my name. I also feel like Miss doesn't carry the respectful tone that Sir does.

I got called miss this morning by my 22 year old hairdresser. I get it in pubs, shops...
When I forget a student's name (cover manager, so a school to remember) I always think of Chic Murray in Gregory's Girl "Small boy, come here."

Actually Pippi now that you mention it just "Miss" does sound incredibly condescending. Like you're addressing a child. Maybe this is why it bothers me.

Not that Mrs is any better - why is my marital status important for all and sundry to know, but not for male staff? (I agree that Ms is difficult, clumsy and tends to suggest other issues).

I've got an MSc, can I ask them to call me Master? Or would that be admitting that masculine is superior and therefore preferable?

"First name" or "Teacher" seem the best so far. Possibly specified with the addition of a surname ("Teacher Indomitable" - actually, maybe I should adopt my mn nickname at work?!) just like Officer Smith, as a PP said up thread.

I am Mrs Ryder. I dislike Miss and none of my classes have ever called me that due to the Paddington Stare. I agree littleducks it is particularly hateful to be called Miss by other adults.

I don't mind Miss at all and use it myself if addressing another female member of staff in front of kids. Logically it ought to be Ma'am - in the same way that the police address upper ranks as Sir and Ma'am but I find it a bit unwieldy. The respect thing is a different issue tbh - kids give respect to those they feel deserve it, regardless of the mode of address they are expected to use.

I don't think it's disrespectful. I used to teach in London and objected to "Miss, man" Just plain "miss" is fine.

We use Miss at our school and the school I went to used Ma'am.

I'd much prefer to use teacher... It'd make me feel like Deborah Kerr... I could sing getting to know you at the start of each year

Eviltwins- "Miss, man" is the most rage inducing phrase known to man. Drives me mad!

At my first teaching placement female teachers were called madam which I hated! I felt like I was some naughty teenager being told off! Much preferred Miss, or Miss x, or Mrs x after I married.

Just the way it's always been. Guess I never think of it.

I work in infants now and get Mrs x.

I wouldn't want to be called 'Teacher' I don't think. And I'm not sure on first names... Maybe it's my upbringing, first names would sound wrong for little ones especially.

To me, Miss is just a teacher name. Means 'teacher' to me. Nothing negative about it. But that's just for me personally.

Fuzzy and Evil-up in the NE I have actually heard "howay, Miss man woman" (different intonation) it made me laugh.

Vagelina-

I don't mind being called Miss by the kids, but I find it very creepy being called Miss by male teachers.

I don't mind being called Miss at all, and if I'm addressing another female member of staff in front of the student will always call them Miss too.

I DO mind when occasionally a child isn't thinking and calls me "Sir! Er I mean Miss!"

The odd 'Mum' makes me laugh and reply ' yes son/daughter dearest'

One of the many charming things about Australian pupils, is that they always call the teacher Ms/Mr Smith, never just the title. It feels so much more polite, though I never thought UK students were rude to say "Miss".

On the other hand, when answering the roll call, they just say, "Yes", which did sound rude at first.

I don't mind being Miss to the children, it's quicker to say. I'm not keen on colleagues using it to speak to me though. And the fact my DC's headteacher calls me Miss really irritates me. She's known me for three years and I'm one of the school governors!

Sir/Miss at all the schools I have worked in bar one which used Ma'am, which did make me feel like royalty yes!
Miss is fine. Mum is amusing. I really don't think Miss is equal to the German Fraulein, Frau is used to be polite/show respect? If you used Fraulein isn't it considered a social faux pas, like Dutzing someone without permission?
Miss in English school system is a lot more generic.

Total non issue.

I'll take Mrs Clary, Miss or Mum. I get "Mum" a lot :)

FuzzyWizard and EvilTwins - I'll see your "Miss, man" and raise you a "Aw, Miss man, allow it, man!"