So..... the issue of teachers' first names rears its head again, and the community message board on the TES website goes balistic with rants about the end of civilisation as we know it and the collapse of 'decent' society. But what are presented as the voices of reason and 'good old fashioned values' are in fact the last gasps of the fearful and insecure.
"It's all about respect" we're told, or use of surnames keeps "appropriate distance" between us and the children. Well, it would be amiss of me on my own blog not give my opinion about this. You see, for the last five years as a primary teacher I was called Ben by my pupils. As a school we changed to first name terms in 2004, and never looked back.
There are a few things I'd be prepared to bet about those who think this move heralds the demise of pupil teacher respect. Number one, they've not experienced it themselves, number two, they have a misconception about the origins and nature of respect. And, as a suplimentary bet (against my house) I'd wager these are the suit and tie wearers with the teacher's desks and the almost scripted planning sheets. You see, it's all about control, the fear of losing it and a false belief that respect comes from these outward trappings.
Put simply, respect comes not from how business-like you look, how deep your voice is, how tall you are, how loud you can be or for that matter, how young and 'down with the kids' you try to be. Respect is far to faithful a mistress to waste her time with such trivialities. Rather, she bestows herself because of decidedly more fundamental attributes, things you can't put on in the morning or write onto a planning proforma. Things like the content of your character, the fairness with which you treat children, the consistency with which you set boundaries and the interest you show in them as people.
When I was known as Mr Knight, it was a show of respect that children referred to me as Mr Knight. They addressed me as I asked to be addressed. When I became Ben, it continued to be a demonstration of respect that children addressed me in the way I asked them to, as Ben. Obviously, as with any new boundary or regime, there will always be a few who test it out. And yes, one child did try his luck with a 'Benjy' within the the first week or so. But putting that down swiftly actually served as a useful marker for him and all the others in the class.
What worries me about the TES responses is what it reveals about the levels of insecurity within the profession. The tentative grasp teachers feel they have on the locus of control in their classrooms and the lack of understanding it shows of the crucial role that relationship plays in education. Perhaps with less time spent choosing which tie to wear and more given to discovering and walking the true pathways to respect, we as a profession will earn more of it from the world outside of education.
Now, where did I put that Guardian suppliment?
