What do you call the teachers??

[Iwannabeababynurse]

i was wondering what do you call the teachers at school? do you call them mr./mrs. or do you call them professor??

[luvmy2angels]

We called our instructors Mrs.____. They weren't college professors.

[MuddaMia]

Clarification Pls...To their FACE..or when they can't hear me??

Very different answers

[jones21498]

They will tell you, until then call them Professor ....

[lizmatt]

Clarification Pls...To their FACE..or when they can't hear me??

Very different answers

so true ... usually not to thier face it is first names, unless not so happy with them ... then they might have a nickname from me that hopefully they never hear

[ChiaLing]

Our instructors generally preferred to be called by their first names.

Reason? They explained that they viewed us, the students, as professionals and future colleagues within the nursing profession, and so we were all on equal footing.

I did have one professor with a Ph.D., but on the first day of class she smiled and said, "You can call me Dr. [last name] if you want to, but I'd really rather you just call me [first name]. Dr. [last name] just sounds so pretentious."

Don't worry, your professors will let you know the first day of class how they prefer to be addressed.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

First names. Not a single teacher ever said, my name is professor Smith. The would say, my name in Bob, and I'll be teaching the neuro part of this semester.

We even referred to the director by her first name, and she was an old coot!

I loved that school!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I guess we can see by the huge variety of answers here that the real answer is: Ask :) Clearly you will NOT know what to call any of them until you do!

Not every instructor introduces himself or herself by name at the first class. Actually, I can't recall even one really doing that, maybe because they knew YOU knew their names when you registered!

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

This thread really points out that the classroom environments are very different from prof to prof and school to school. I think the main thing is that, whatever they prefer to be called, do it with respect.

[llg, PhD, RN]

This thread really points out that the classroom environments are very different from prof to prof and school to school. I think the main thing is that, whatever they prefer to be called, do it with respect.

Great thought!

I'll be teaching a course this fall. Maybe I'll ask them to address me as "Your Highness" or "Your Eminence" or something along those lines ....

But seriously, folks ... I am a first name kind'a person. But that doesn't mean I don't expect courtesy and respect. Some people assume that if you are on a first name basis with a teacher, you can walk all over them -- and the opposite. That's not necessarily the case.

llg

[RN_student2006]

Although I haven't started my classes yet, I have overheard previous nursing students calling their teachers by first name. Since I have only been out of high school for one year, I have a problem calling my teachers by first name though, even if they tell us to! If I need something, I just dont call them anything, lol.

[WDWpixieRN, RN]

I've got a bachelor's degree in MIS and have completed anything I could outside of the core nursing classes...I can hardly think of a class where an instructor didn't clearly tell us what we could call them by....with few exceptions, it's been by first name, but it's always important to listen carefully to this part of the class!

[maolin]

Some core course instructors preferred Dr. Last name or Prof. Last name. The profs at the community college I attended varied from Masters to Doctorate prepared - but their job title at the college was Assoc Prof or Prof., so that was a sure thing. All nursing and most core course instructors asked to be addressed by first name, 1 or 2 had nicknames, 1 insisted on Dr. Lastname. One of the courses I'm taking this semester has the instructor website with Dr. First-name-only (ie: Dr. Jane, Professor of Basketweaving)across the top, so I'm assuminig this instructor wants to be lighthearted recognition of her creditials, but a more casual/less formal relationship with students (rumored to be a good, but laidback instructor).

I think, especially with the nursing instructors, that they are accostomed to being called by first name only at the bedside, so it carries over when becoming an educator. And less daunting to the patient in the clinical setting - can you imagine, Mr. Patient, this is my nursing professor, Dr. SmartNurse. She will be observing me administering your medications and inserting your IV. Yikes!!

When I get to be a nurse educator, I imagine I'll be on a first name basis as well. As it is in my hospital - first names from the housekeeping staff to nursing to clinical management, to directors, VPs.