I use this exact discussion when I am teaching about DAP Core Consideration for Decision Making #3 about the cultural context of the children, adults, and program.
Each of us as adults in early childhood education settings have culturally-based ideas about what is appropriate or inappropriate for how children
should or
should not address adults (anytime you are in the realm of "shoulds," you are in the realm of cultural beliefs and identities). Children come from home cultures with some sort of expectations about how children
should address and interact with adults. As previously mentioned in this thread, there are also cultural considerations (shoulds and shouldn'ts) of the program itself (e.g., if the program is in a religious setting or if the program is part of a larger school which has clearly identified cultural expectations for how children should address adults, the way children address adults may already be culturally determined by the program).
To recognize the effects of our own cultural in this situation, we need to reflect on what impact it has on us when a child addresses us in a way that may be incongruent with our own cultural expectations. I have seen teachers get very frustrated if they are addressed by a child using their first name, and I have seen teachers who are uncomfortable with being addressed by children in more formal ways). Recognizing and honoring the child's cultural behavior in the situation is important in developing a positive relationship with the child.
As you, your teaching team, and the children come together to create a shared classroom culture (shouldn'ts and shoulds) around routines, rolls, and expectations, you can have the discussions about how children and adults should address each other to create the classroom culture. Keep in mind, though, that the level of hierarchy or egalitarian communication established by the classroom culture can have an impact on how children engage with you in learning experiences. Hierarchical relationships in which children are expected to address adults in very formal ways can create a communication "distance" in which children may be less likely to fully engage in learning conversations with you because of the formality. More egalitarian interactions in which both adults and children are all addressed by their first names may help create a more collegial communication pattern between teachers and children in the classroom, although the larger cultural expectations brought into the learning environment by children, adults, and the program need to be considered here in making the decisions about how children should address the adults in the program.
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Jared Lisonbee, Ph. D.
Preschool Education Specialist
Salt Lake City, UT
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-23-2021 09:15 PM
From: Sarah Pyle-Shackelford
Subject: How should teachers be addressed by our preschool students?
I've heard a few arguments from either "side" of this topic but am curious to hear updated discussions... Here is the topic for conversation: Should preschool teachers be addressed by their First names or their Last names? Specifically, should teachers be referred to as Ms/Mr/Mrs Sam or Mr/Mrs/Ms Smith in preschool? Also as an extension to this discussion, what are the non-binary/most appropriate options? Again, this is specific to preschool, but I look forward to all conversation.
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Sarah Pyle-Shackelford
Georgetown TX
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