Since the 15th century, English speakers have been using the honorifics Mr., Ms. and Mrs., which originated as short ways of saying master and mistress, and even now students address their teachers with these terms.
The gendered honorifics Mr., Ms. and Mrs. should be dropped from the classroom, and teachers should go on a first-name basis with students.
Honorifics are used to show respect for teachers, but instead of confining respect for teachers into words, students should and can respect teachers through other means. Students can pay attention in class, take teachers seriously and appreciate and be grateful for the sacrifices teachers make for their students.
Even the school’s founder, John Dewey, once said, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow,” and although he wasn’t talking about honorifics, he does touch upon changing the classroom environment for the better.
By addressing teachers by their first name, we can make learning feel more like a partnership, create a comforting classroom environment and we give less talkative students more confidence, according to Neal Brown, a head of school who believes in using first names in classrooms.
Dropping the honorifics and keeping students and teachers on a first-name basis is beneficial to the academic environment, and teachers should consider allowing students to use their first name in classrooms.
