I called teachers by their first names to see how they would react. “Mr”, “Miss”, “Mrs”, and “Dr” are all called honorifics. Implied by the name honorifics, they show honor and respect. They are normally used to show position or rank, so why do honorifics call teachers? Teachers have a big impact on the kids’ life, so the parents respect their kids’ teachers for helping them get through school. When I asked April (Ms. Worner) if she felt like she was the most important and respected member of society, she said, “No, I may not be the most important, but I feel respected.”
Some college students make TikToks about calling their professors, and the professor blows up on them. I don’t know if they are real or fake, but all these are genuine. Disclaimer: do not do this, this is for the sake of science!!!
Now let’s call teachers by their first names to see how they would respond.
Mr. Ferguson:
Q: Hey Doug, I have a question about the Nest.
A: Doug, that’s just a disrespectful thing to say.
Mr. Troutt:
Q: William. (He cuts me off)
A: Will, what? Sorry, what did you say? (he said quickly and in an unnatural tone)
Q: Sorry, we are doing an article for the Nest on how teachers react to being called by their first name.
A: (We got a very tiny lecture, but the most he said was “Being called Mr. or Miss is a respectful thing.”)
Mr. Gundy:
Side note: I knew Mr. Gundy would not take this kindly, so I took a different approach.
Q: Mr. Gundy, I have a question for the Nest. Why do you think students call their teachers by their last names?
A: Because it shows more respect since you don’t know them on a personal level.
Q: How would you react to being called by your first name?
A: Automatic referral.
Miss Haggerty:
Q: Miss Haggerty, I have a question for the Nest. Why do you think students call their teachers by their last names?
A: To establish a level of respect.
Q: How would you react to being called by your first name?
A: I would not be happy, and there would be further consequences.
After I told her about the other teachers’ reactions, she said she would agree with Mr. Gundy and hand out a referral.
All in all, call your teacher by their last name. They do so much for you, and the least you can do is give them some respect. It seems that most teachers don’t like being called by their first name, as I’m sure it must feel weird and awkward.
