Re: CHAT: "Mister" (WAS: Re: New Lang: Igassik)

On Sun, 22 Oct 2000 18:53:04 -0700 Marcus Smith <smithma@...>
writes:
> Adrian Morgan wrote:
>
> >Marcus Smith wrote:
> >
> > > Thanks, but I'm not a professor.  Still a lowly graduate
> > > student with ambitions of being a professor someday. But
> >not
> > > too soon -- I still bothers me when my students call me
> >Mr.
> > > Smith instead of Marcus. "Professor Smith" would drive me
> > > nuts! :-)
> >In Australia, it is AFAIK absolutely unknown for tertiary
> >students to be on anything other than first-name basis with
> >lecturers. This is the first time I've heard someone say
> >that it's different elsewhere in the world. Very
> >interesting.
> Most of my students do call me Marcus. But a few refuse to do so,
> even
> after I let them know I don't like this "mister" thing. Oh well,
> it's their
> grade their jepordizing. :)
> ===============================
> Marcus Smith
-

When i began teaching 5th grade in a local school here a few blocks from
my college, i wondered whether i should have my students call me
"Stephen" or "Mr. Belsky".  The question, however, became a moot point
when my friend Jen who i was replacing as teacher introduced me to the
class the day before i started (her last day) as "Steve".  So, not
wanting to 'tease' them with the firstname/lastname thing, i just kept
with it and didn't say anything either way to them.  However, at the end
of the year some of them told me that they probably would have behaved
better in class and respected me more if i had said to call me "Mr.
Belsky" (wow that looks weird :-P ).  For instance, the first teacher
they had had that year, another friend of mine (who just got engaged!
yay!) they insisted on calling by his last name even when he told them
he'd prefer it if they call him by his firstname.

Of course, this will all become oh-so-more-complicated when (iy"H) i
eventually get through rabbinical school after i finish college. :-) .


-Stephen (Steg)
 "You will begin to touch heaven, Jonathan, in the moment
  that you touch perfect speed.  And that isn't flying a thousand
  miles an hour, or a million, or flying at the speed of light.
  Because any number is a limit, and perfection doesn't have
  limits.  Perfect speed, my son, is being there."
                    ~ _jonathan livingston seagull_