I didn't say that you lack respect for students. I assume and hope that you do respect them. I just asked how you ***show*** them the respect that they deserve. If calling you by a title rather than your first name is supposed to be a sign that students respect you what do you call students that indicates that you respect them?
-Don. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John W. Nichols, M.A." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 2:07 PM Subject: Re: Don't Call Me Mister > I would (or would have) said "Sir, ...." and I would have had enough > respect to not sneer. > > What is it in my post that indicates a lack of respect? > > > > don allen wrote: > > > > John- > > > > I would suggest that respect is a two-way street. If you want students to > > call you by a title to show respect for, "what we have done and what we do" > > then how do you show them respect for what they have done and do? I agree > > that respect is important - but it should be mutual respect. I would much > > rather have a student say respectfully, "Don, could you go over that one > > more time? I really don't understand it" than to have a student sneeringly > > say, "Sir, your lecture is very unclear". > > > > -Don > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "John W. Nichols, M.A." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 12:00 PM > > Subject: Re: Don't Call Me Mister > > > > > Obviously, "Mister" is not only acceptable, but also appropriate in my > > > case. I have no problem with it being used. > > > > > > I used to tell my students (back in the old days when I actually saw > > > them) they could call me "Mister", "Professor", or "Master" - anything > > > except "Dr.". When asked what the M.A. stands for, I respond "Master of > > > All things" (which, while true, seems to let them know that I am not t oo > > > concerned about degreeism). > > > > > > I do not like for students to call me "John". That suggests a degree of > > > familiarity that I do not care for since ours is a professional > > > relationship. It is just my opinion - but it is my educated opinion - > > > that teachers (like parents) should not be their friends. We worked > > > hard to become what we are. We have earned, and deserve, respect for > > > what we have done and what we do. That, of course, assumes that one > > > respects learning, knowledge and education. Using first names does not > > > show respect. (OK, true, it is not that hard to become a parent. It > > > is, in fact, more fun than work. Parents, however, still deserve > > > respect.) > > > > > > I was raised in a military family. I would have never even considered > > > not saying "Sir" or "My-yam" (I was also raised in the far, deep South) > > > when addressing an adult. Even today, I use the terms when addressing a > > > superior or senior person. I do not view it as a demeaning thing for me > > > to do but, rather, as simply a proper display of respect. (I have been > > > known to use other terms when respect was absent.) > > > > > > Again, it is only my opinion (though I know I am right), that many of > > > the problems seen in schools (and families) today result from a failure > > > to teach students (and children) to show proper respect for those who > > > deserve it by their effort, actions or status. If students do not > > > respect their teachers, I seriously doubt that they can be expected to > > > respect and appreciate what they are taught. I suggest that lack of > > > respect is a large part of the cause for innumeracy as well as ignorance > > > about geography, science, history, and so many other subjects we teach. > > > Is there an academic subject in which American students rank 1st in the > > > world? I think that the effort to be friends and to be informal is > > > misguided and actually contributes to the problem. > > > (I have certainly seen ample evidence of lack of respect and > > > appreciation for parents in many young people in recent years. Too > > > little respect, parents who want to be friends of their kids, and > > > excessive self-esteem, are to blame. That is just my opinion, of > > > course.) > > > > > > I do not become violent when a student addresses my by my first name. I > > > do, however, become wary of their motivation and I think a bit less of > > > them and their upbringing. > > > > > > My solution to the problem of how to sign emails is pretty simple. I do > > > not sign individual emails. I use a .sig file on all of my professional > > > accounts, just like the one below. That seems to me to be sufficient. > > > It shows all of the necessary information, in a properly formal way, for > > > a professional relationship. That is how I view our relationship with > > > students. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "Karl L. Wuensch" wrote: > > > > > > > > Freshmen in my intro class often call me 'Mister,' which I don't > > > > like. I prefer first names, but if they must be formal, I prefer > > > > 'Professor' or 'Doctor.' I found a brief discussion of this put up by > > > > UCF, at > > > > > > http://www.ucfnews.com/news/2003/06/25/Lifestyles/Whats.In.A.Name.How.To.Add > > ress.A.Professor.In.Class-440611.shtml . > > > > Do you all speak to your freshman about how to address professors? > > > > > > > > http://core.ecu.edu/psyc/wuenschk/Professor.htm > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > Karl L. Wuensch, Department of Psychology, > > > > East Carolina University, Greenville NC 27858-4353 > > > > Voice: 252-328-4102 Fax: 252-328-6283 > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > http://core.ecu.edu/psyc/wuenschk/klw.htm > > > > > > > > --- > > > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > -- > > > > > > ----------==========>>>>>>>>>> ��� <<<<<<<<<<==========---------- > > > Sometimes you just have to try something, and see what happens. > > > > > > John W. Nichols, M.A. > > > Assistant Professor of Psychology > > > Tulsa Community College > > > 909 S. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119 > > > (918) 595-7134 > > > > > > Home: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols > > > MegaPsych: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/megapsych.html > > > > > > --- > > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -- > > ----------==========>>>>>>>>>> ��� <<<<<<<<<<==========---------- > Sometimes you just have to try something, and see what happens. > > John W. Nichols, M.A. > Assistant Professor of Psychology > Tulsa Community College > 909 S. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119 > (918) 595-7134 > > Home: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols > MegaPsych: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/megapsych.html > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
