With all the great posts regarding name calling in Mayberry, I would like to share some experiences I had with name calling during my teaching career. While in most cases name calling takes on a very negative connotation, name calling can also be a very positive and endearing experience. During my teaching years I tried to always come up with little pet names for my students. I would always preface it by explaining that nicknames can be names of endearment. I always told my kids too that if it embarrassed them they should tell me and I would never use the name. I did have one boy tell me he didn't want a nickname, but after a few weeks when he saw how much fun the other kids had with it, he came to me and asked me to give him a nickname. My students always loved it and I still get comments from them, sometimes 30 years after I had them in my class. I taught three kids from one particular family and their last name was Mack. So I called the oldest girl Big Mack, the middle girl, Little Mack, and the youngest boy French Fry. Another girl I had over 25 years ago was my "Little Twit". This summer I was in a parade in a neighboring town when someone yelled out at me, "Hey Mr. A. I am your little twit. We had a nice reunion and she told me how that name always made her feel so special because no one else ever had that name. One year on the first day of school I told my kids they could call me, Mr. Anderson, Mr. A, or Honeybunch. Well I asked for it, that particular group called me Honeybunch. Even in high school I would walk through the halls and some of them would say "Hi Honeybunch'. I was invited to one boy's graduation and he was one who called me Honeybunch all through high school. For part of his gift I took a box of Honeybunches of Oats cereal and I put a picture of me on the box and gift wrapped it. That was at least ten years ago, and his mother told me recently that he still has the box. So whenever I hear those name calling scenes I always chuckle and I am so thankful that the writers saw the humor that was there.
Ken Anderson The Mayberry Guru 2906 May Street Eau Claire, WI 54701 715-839-8470 www.mayberryreflections.com [email protected] _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list [email protected] http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
