What do you call children who's names you don't know?

[SawdustInMyHair]

I'm on PGCE placement, and although I've learned all the names in 'my' class, I am obviously not going to learn all the names in the school.

I've realised that when I don't know the name I'm defaulting to 'young man' for boys and 'sweetheart' for girls, which grosses me out because of the sexism, and worries me if I misgender someone (it's primary so some of them are at that age where it's hard to tell). I try getting the names, obviously, but it's not practical in every situation.

Is there a good catch-all "you-child" term I'm missing?

I don't understand why you have to call them anything when you talk to them. If I wanted to address an adult I didn't know (e.g. on the street, in a shop, whatever), I wouldn't call them 'madam' or something. I'd just say what I wanted to say, preceded by 'excuse me' if I needed to attract their attention first. Maybe it's a primary school thing though. I can't imagine callung a secondary school student 'sweetheart' or 'sausage' . They would be .

"Hold that door please!"

"It would be really lovely if you'd just take this message along to Mrs X, thank you"

"I don't thing you need to behave like that in the corridor do you?"

Nope, I don't use names if I don't know them! I do use "what is your name?" if someone is being naughty and I'm trying to worry them though!

Not in schools anymore but use "toots" to small randoms. And not so small. I am very old so absent mindedly saying "thanks toots" to our student intern raised a smile all round.

'Oi, you!'

I really don't understand the people who don't understand this! Especially the comment Why are you talking to so many other children? Playground duty, assembly, walking down the corridor, there are hundreds of reasons.

I tend to use poppet or twinkle.

I am terrible. The yr 3-6 tend to like small human, especially as it gives some the opportunity to point out they are bigger than me. I flatly deny this.

I also tend to use Flossie and Bob as well.

Mrs for girls and Mr for boys.

The 'who's' instead of 'whose' should be more immediate concern.

I'm secondary but it's a small school so I know nearly every name, with the exception of new yr 7s. I call them Sweetheart or My Love, unless they're misbehaving in which case it's Young Man or Young Lady.

On first teaching practice you didn't ever walk down a corridor?

If you are new in a primary school, you are a source of interest to a lot of children. They tend to approach you and ask questions.

Hahaha at the thought if pgce students not walking down the corridors!!!! I love mumsnet sometimes

PGCE students are supposed to mysteriously appear in another room in Star Trek style didn't you know? I say sunshine personally. Will ask my (mainly boy) children what they prefer.

Just asked my 9 year olds. Apparently teachers (nice ones) go with sweetheart or darling. Not nice ones go with "kid" Randomly, DTD1's first response to the question "what do teachers who don't know people's names call kids?" was "Sam". So maybe go with Sam, OP

Hahaha at the thought if pgce students not walking down the corridors!!!! I love mumsnet sometimes

And no random child ever talking to you, holding a door for you, falling over in front of you and needing a check they are ok or the twenty thousand other reasons that you might need to talk to a child you don't know.

DS says one of their supplies calls them Englebert Humperdinck if boy, Gertrude if a girl :-)

I like that idea Louise! Perhaps we could all standardise on that

I'm not even a teacher, let alone a trainee one.

We have subterranean tunnels we must use

With my own class, it tends to be, "Yes, sunshine/child/little one, how can I help?" I do know their names, though.
I mostly talk to "other" children when they are making a nuisance of themselves. The conversation therefore tends to go along the lines of "Excuse me, what's your name?....Right, [insert name], I need you to stop [whatever it may be] because it's really annoying."
Alternatively, I use the "young man/lady" or "gentlemen/ladies/little people".

I tend to go with trouble, double trouble, thing or sweety.
Even once I learn there names often still refer to them as trouble.

"You with the hair on" is one I use a lot on playground duty. If they call me I often use 'yes sir" or "yes ma'am" as it often gets a giggle. "What a wally" is another thing I say all the time if someone does something silly.

Sweetie if it's a situation where a child is sick, hurt or upset.

Nothing-I would just talk to them like normal people.

'Thank you so much for bringing me the register.'
'You are a star for holding that door open for me, thank you.'
'Ahem, do you really think you should be putting sand in Deirdre's knickers like that?'
etc etc

My son's teacher calls them all Dear (even though she does know their names). I think she's called me Dear a few times though. There is something about the way she says in that makes you feel a bit special and loved.