The "MISS"NOMER

We help students to find the right words. Without us, without education, the poverty of words can result in limited language expression and unrealized potential, and frequent frustration. So, I am always proud of teachers who build their students' vocabulary each day to help them express themselves more effectively. Because words are important!

I work with teachers every day, some of the greatest minds in the world! I'm not talking about celebrities; I'm talking about everyday teachers! And something that I would like us to do regarding "the power of language" is to stop allowing students to address us only as "Miss" or "Mister." In many classrooms all over the nation, instead of students calling us by our names, like Ms. Vaughn or Dr. Pena, students will just say, "Miss" or "Mister." For example, "Miss, where do I put this paper?"

You are an important person in the lives of your students and in the world. You are a TEACHER. You a re valuable. Please do not let your students devalue you and the profession by calling you the same name as what we would call a waitress whom we've never met!

As English teachers, we know the power of language. As historians, you have witnessed the effect of a historical motivating or misspoken word. As math and science teachers, you have seen what one wrong symbol can do to an equation or a chemical reaction, respectively. LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT. I know you have a tremendous amount of work on your plate, and you're thinking, "Deborah, I have a lot more problems to deal with than this!" But I would like to convince you otherwise. How can you expect students, parents, administrators, and the global community to respect our profession when they don't even call us by our given names?

I remember the first time a student called me "Miss." It was in 1994. My head did a 360, and I turned to the young eleventh grade student and asked, "Why did you call me 'Miss?' My name is Ms. Louis."

"Well, it's easier to call you Miss, and our other teachers let us call them Miss."

"Really?!"

"Uh, huh."

"Well, I will call you Mr. Davis, and you will call me Ms. Louis. I will not answer to 'Miss,' just as I expect that you wouldn't want to answer to 'Hey, you'!"

(This was back when I was calling my eleventh grade students by their last names in order to raise the bar of formality and expectations among a teacher and her students. In the hallway, I called him Mark.)

If I were Aretha Franklin, I'd break out into R-E-S-P-E-C-T right now. As a teacher, I know how hard my colleagues work to better their students' lives, to better our nation's future. If you do not demand respect in your classroom, you will not get it.

I am thankful for the adults in my life who made me grow into the woman I am today. Trust me, it wasn't easy for any of them. So thank you, Mom and Dad. But also, thank you Mrs. Tanner (1st grade); Mrs. Lawrence (2nd grade); Mrs. Hyman (3rd grade); Mrs. Crews (4th grade Math); Mr. Crook (7th grade Social Studies); Mr. Kennemer (9th grade Biology); Mrs. Nickel (11th grade English); Mr. Wilbanks (12th grade Government) and Mrs. Simmons (12th grade English).When I say their names, they live and thrive again. They were important then, and they still are.

We will never rise in our professional status if we do not even have a name.

Keep writing, reading, and teaching!

Warm regards,

Dr. Louis (not "Miss")