Ms Ng.... my surname is awkward

[Mamalovey]

I am starting teacher training, and what to do about my surname!
I am also not married, the other awkward factor.
My surname is Ng, so I would be Ms Ng at school. People aren't sure how to pronounce it, it's awkward to pronounce, and not even recognised as a surname on most forms. My first name is fine. Why can't teachers be addressed by their first names at school!

What do I do though, make up a random surname? Create some half relevant other name?

Choose the name you want to be called & stick with it - could be Ms your first name if you want, or just Ms N.

I'd make up a random surname for school purposes.

I am generally of the opinion that if folk can learn to pronounce Tchaikovsky and Schoenberg then they can also learn to pronounce Ng, but I appreciate that you might not want to use your name to fight that particular battle.

There are some established romanisations, depending on your heritage. I like the suggestion of being known as Ms N. Alternatively do you have a middle name, or your mother’s maiden name?

Thanks all! I'd be happy to go with Ms N or Ms (first name). Phew!

I met someone recently with this surname and when I asked how it was pronounced she said it was literally like the two initials, so 'en-gee'. Could you be Ms Engee?

Long-time teacher here.

it will depend on the school, but in most of the ones I’ve worked in neither Ms N nor Ms (first name) would be acceptable. You need to follow whatever is the usual system for teachers where you work.

Ms (surname) is fine, you’re unlikely to be the only person in the school using Ms.

I see nothing difficult with students calling you Ms Ng. If they don’t know how to pronounce Ng you can tell them and/or be happy with their best approximation.

I know somebody with this surname - at school he puts an a in front of it - Ang. Kids don't have any problems with that

Thank you, understand that may be the case! Oh well. Ms Ng it will be.

Ang, that's a good alternative :)

@WhenDovesFly i thought about that one...but i'm quite liking Ang at the moment for its simplicity

I am of Chinese heritage and my maiden name was Zhou - when I was a teacher my class called me Miss Zoo ❤️😅

How do you say it op? Also, are definitely insisting on Ms? If you’re worried about people struggling with your surname is there really a need to complicate it further with Ms? Why is not being married awkward? Could you not be Miss?

I think Ms vs Miss is a non issue - I am Ms but most of the kids call me Miss, I don't mind but still always write Ms myself.

At my school teachers with particularly awkward names (mostly very long ones) are actively encouraged to use an initial, Ms N would be fine. I also have a colleague with an embarrassing name (something with 'bottom' in) and she uses another surname - I assume her mother's maiden name but she could have picked it from nowhere for all I know.

I don't see how Ms is complicating it. It's a widely used title for women.

While I think that students getting used to pronouncing different names is a good thing (I taught in Melbourne, where Ng and Nguyen are very common), I knew several teachers who chose to shorten their names of use initials.

In the end, OP, it's what works for you that is the most important.

Primary or secondary? In most primarys you can basically do what you want as long as it's vaguely sensible. I've worked with several people who have been known as something other than their surname as it was hard for children to say. One was Miss Mac (short for MacSomething), one was Miss Ava (children just assumed this was her surname, when in fact it was part of her first name). Having said that, you can also very quickly teach your class how to say your name even if it is trickier than average. Oh and children at primary totally disregard Miss/Mrs/Ms anyway - lots don't seem to notice they are different words at all.

Please get the kids to learn your name properly. If they’re very young and get it a bit wrong, that’s okay.
I always make an effort to learn how to pronounce children’s names properly. You deserve the same respect.

Actually is it pronounced as it’s written? As in ‘ng’ at the end of ‘sing’?
If so, then not too tricky really.

@Dontfuckingsaycheese , because being old and not being married has people looking at you with question. Being young and being a miss is different.

@Whee it's secondary. i think it's more the fact i don't want to draw attention to it. If it was Lee, or Wu or Chen or some other one syllable I wouldn't mind. But it's ng, I used to tell kids at school, you pronounce it like you're pushing out a poo nnnnggg

maybe i can throw an i in front, Ms Ing. Then it's not too far from the actual pronounciation. And I can still be written as (First name) Ing

This is not funny or appropriate, and is likely to be the cause of your problems.

My name is 'Ms Ng'. Pronounce it correctly.

Names are precious and should be respected, from children up to staff.

I don't feel that uptight about it tbh. also not offended when people don't pronounce it correctly, nor that it's not recognised as a proper surname on forms. it's simply the fact that the surname is likely to have to be used at school, whereas i have gotten away my whole life with telling people just call me by first name.

I worked with a Mrs Ng. Pupils all coped with it.

Do you think the rest of us demanded to be known as Ms Y at the age of 3 and never used our first names?

Ms/ Mr/ Mx + surname is how you address a teacher in the UK. It is a non issue.

This!!
Teach children to pronounce a range of different names and not expect to have things changed or simplified because they're culturally unfamiliar to them.
We had this issue last year, group of SEND children, new staff member with a complicated name. She would have used Ms. L. But we persevered with her full name and they actually used it quite easily after a few times.