Friendly names to call kids who make a stupid mistake

[noblegiraffe]

You know, the ones you have a good relationship with, not talking about berating some sensitive y7.

What, in mock exasperation, would you call a pupil who had e.g got a fiendishly difficult differential equation question wrong and you'd just spotted it was because they'd written 1x1=2?

I am a very experienced teacher (20+ years, in a variety of settings KS1-sixth form) and I have never name called a child.

Whatever word you choose, you are using is as a replacement for "idiot".

Why not focus on the mistake instead of the child? "Oh look, you've done/made a whoopsie" (or other funny word for mistake)

This serves the purpose of creating humour but it's much more respectful.

Are there really teachers who would call a child a "numpty" or a "muppet" during an observation/ofsted inspection?

I think it's very disrespectful. Also, no teacher can 100% know that the child is happy with being called anything. Most children are too scared to express themselves when they feel humiliated.

And whoever said "spanner"?!!! FFS!! That's disablist

And seriously - if you insist on calling the children in your class names please at least check out what the words mean (or at least the current usage). For example, the word "fruitcake" is used to describe someone who is mentally ill. If you wouldn't use loon or psycho don't use fruitcake.

There was a thread recently where the OP described how shit it was for her to be called a "Little monkey" at school given that she is black. What may seem an innocuous little term of endearment to you might not be so innocuous after all.

Noodle or nugget? Can't think of any reason why either might be insensitive. Or referring to the mistake as something funny, I like a blooper or whoopsie.

Wow.
I am a teacher of 17+ years and teach English at high school. Pupils like a rapport with their teachers - if my pupils make a mistake they are 'suffering from a mild case of 'muppetitus' they are happy to point out when I am too.
The atmosphere in a classroom is very different from a business meeting (pp's comment). Classrooms are filled with children who learn much more from a friendly approach.
As for those saying teachers don't know their kids - I know every pupil premium child, every Send, every behavioural issue and have access to endless information about them. I absorb this info before I teach them and have levels/pp/send marked in my seating plans. Most teachers I know will know their pupils - it is part of the job.

Or think they know their pupils.

If light-hearted banter was banned, I'd be swiftly out of a job. I only do it with 6th form, but it's pretty much a daily occurrence. I've been teaching nearly 20 years. No one has ever complained.

I use the same names I use with my 6 year old, Silly sausage, Na-na. I use the same names on myself when I do something silly (like dropping a container of iron filings all over the floor yesterday). I'm a TA and have a good relationship with the kids especially those in KS3.

Quite frankly who doesn't prefer a lesson with a bit of laughter where it's ok to make mistakes but the job gets done? Much better than a strict lesson where you can't breath without getting told off.

Light hearted banter is fine.

Insulting a child - no matter how silly or good natured or in jest the insult is in - is not.

SEND/ PP are not necessarily the issue here, you wouldn't know which children hide their insecurities, especially the more able pupils, they are better at doing it!

You are in a position of authority and you are potentially humiliating children in front of their peers, but that's ok because it's funny??

The atmosphere in my classrooms has always been very fun and friendly. In every school I've worked in I've been known as a very funny teacher amongst the pupils. We have such a laugh. But never at the expense of pupils mistakes and I have never name called a child.

The word isn't important, it's the meaning. The meaning is from the context.

I know adults that use supposedly harmless words, teapot, doughnut, etc but in the context it obviously means "idiot" and it's an insult.

It's so easy to focus on the error instead of the child. And much nicer.

Why do people assume that a lesson without insulting pupils who make mistakes would be a strict, humourless one?

Banter, lightheartedness, having a laugh are all brilliant. And all can be done without name calling

Some children need that friendly banter. NEED IT. Po faced "oh it's bullying" will fail those children particularly those with SEN. My ds would be included with those children. Many children need the humour to remove the sting in the tail of a mistake.

Flat out name calling is wrong but gentle teasing about a silly mistake is not the same thing as berating a child who is struggling.

Newsflash! There is no one universal way of teaching (or parenting) that works for all children. Trying to pretend there is still always fail somebody.

And yes I would expect the children in my class to tell me I was silly if I'd made an obvious mistake but then I like my children to know that mistakes aren't a big deal.

I agree with you, YouAreMyRain

Exactly, I totally agree with you soapboxqueen. No one universal way of teaching (or parenting) works for all children.

The silly sausage and banana names are fine as far a my DS is concerned. But obviously that is just one case, one opinion, I'm sure there are many other different children that for various reasons would not like it and would feel bad and embarrassed.

A good teacher that knows their children well also knows how each of them can be treated and what words/ways work better for them.

I wouldn't have known what DS's teacher does in class regarding the silly names if it wasn't because I read this thread and decided to ask him out of curiosity.

If I stopped, my 6th formers in particular would wonder what had happened to me. And yes, I behave the same if OFSTED or SLT are in the room.

I use "oh, you sausage.." and "oh, you turnip..." occasionally.

I think lots of posters on here are not differentiating between name calling/bullying and what the op was talking about.
I don't name call - I say that the pupil is suffering a mild case of muppetitus - when a silly mistake has been made.
I also said that all the teachers I know have detailed knowledge of their pupils, not every single teacher. Maybe I work in an excellent school - today we had memos about a year 10'girl self harming and a boy with anorexia. I can tell a pupil I can 'accuse' of having muppetitus within a week of teaching them.

Let's put the pupils in the corner with a dunce's cap on. That'll fix them or perhaps let teachers continue having friendly relationships with pupils.

You can surely have friendly banter without resorting to name calling soapbox

I have no objection to humour, good rapport, banter.

What I have an objection to is name calling. Because wether it's mushroom, banana face, twat, dim wit or fucking idiot, it all in the context means your thick and stupid and you shouldn't have made that mistake so we're all going to laugh at you. And I'm pretty sure even those who need light hearted humour don't actually like being laughed at.

Actually ok what is one of the reasons that posts get deleted on here, personal insults, calling another user names. It's not acceptable. It wouldn't be acceptable in a work place, for your boss called you a dope or something more graphic you'd be humiliated. Why is it ok for teachers.

Name calling isn't funny, it is bullying I'm not being po faced it's damaging. Humour is not damaging!

No I'm not plesky because there is no difference. Name calling is name calling is name calling.

It's the same

We use 'doughnut' at home.

any chance we can quit the 'muppet' references?

Ellle I agree that most good teachers have a good beat on who this works with and who it doesn't.

Banter is something that happens everywhere in all walks of life including professional ones. It helps children to know what the limits are and also what to do if they don't like it.

Though if I got it wrong and it wasn't obvious that I had, I'd hope the parent would come and see me. I'd be thoroughly upset that I'd misjudged and mortified but it would give me knowledge about that child I wouldn't otherwise have had. I'd also reinforce with the child that they can come and tell me when I've done something wrong. Something I encourage from the get go with my children.

Tis a two way Street.

"A mild case of muppetitis" is marginally better than directly calling a pupil a muppet (which obviously means idiot) because it's slightly less personal.

Those of you who can't imagine how to teach in a fun, friendly way without name calling are seriously lacking in ideas and imagination. Seriously.

Pupils who don't like this could be so embarrassed that they may never tell anyone. Especially if they fear that it might be true. I was a very high achiever at school and very loud and seemingly confident. I still crumble inside when I recall seemingly harmless things that teachers said to me in jest. I have never told a soul.

It's not that obvious who can deal with it and who can't. Sometimes the most apparently outgoing pupils are the most sensitive.