[gottaread]

Yesterday one of the Kindergardeners cracked me up. I had introduced myself (a long, difficult name) but said, "you can call me Mrs. J." as I always do. Later, one of the girls came up, hugged my knees and looked up saying "I like you Mrs. J, but...what's your REAL name?" She said this in a whisper, as if it were our little secret. I bent over and said "that IS my real name!"

Kids have asked variations of this over time. How do YOU respond?

I only have my last name on my name badge. That is what I go by. It is very easy to say and the kids of all ages are VERY good at remembering. (Wish I was that good w/ names).

I often get asked my first name. Esp in jr. high and high school. I just smile and say Mrs. They always say, no REALLY - what is it. I then ask them why? Then 99 of a 100 times they move on. The kids who do know my real name usually stay quiet about it and can sense I dont' want it spread around. I appreciate that of them.


I don't get a lot of funny about my name. I usually get nonsense personal questions that they try to use to get me talking to avoid doing the assign. I don't mind sharing about myself but I usually do it when *I* want to (usually in conjunction w/ the lesson, or what is going on, etc) and rarely in response to their time delay questions. I did get a new time delay question this week - "do you live on a farm?" yeah, new one. And no, I don't.

[Amberlee]

I have a last name that can be difficult to pronounce. I'd always have students ask me how to say it. So I started calling myself Miss Firstinitial. But then they'd say 'What's your REAL name?'

My solution?
I put Miss Last name and "Miss Initial" both on the board. That way they don't have to ask me either. I say "This is my name but you can also call me Miss Initial." It's worked for me ever since!

[grav_def]

I put Miss Last name and "Miss Initial" both on the board. That way they don't have to ask me either. I say "This is my name but you can also call me Miss Initial." It's worked for me ever since!

That's what I usually do, too.

My district-issued ID badge has my first and last names on it. That kind of annoys me...every once in awhile I'll get a kid who thinks he's being really smart call my by my first name.

I think my weirdest came this past week: I spent 3 days in a first-grade class that addresses their regular teacher as "Maestra firstname," but I introduced myself to them as "Maestra lastname" (or Maestra initial). For some reason these kids then spent 3 days calling me by just my last name: No Mrs., no Ms., no senora, no maestra. I didn't do anything about it (except occasionally refer to myself the way I wanted to be addressed) because I really don't think they meant any disrespect; they were just confused. It was just funny!

[MrsDriver]

I introduce myself to little ones they give me a funny look when I say my last name, Driver. I usually get at least one that says, "like bus driver". I have to say yeah, like bus driver.