"Girl"

is not a term students should ever use to address a teacher or any superior, for that matter, yet it seems that two of my new students think it's acceptable. It took me a second, the first time I heard one of my girls use  it, to figure out if the student was even addressing me. Was she talking to me? No. Not possible . . . . Oh my gosh, she was. Then, I about went through the roof. I gave her the stare, then said, "What did you just call me?"

She was so casual, so off-the-cuff--"Oh, you know, girl, like we cool."

"No, we're not 'cool.' I'm your teacher. You know my name. Use it." (Visualize student eye-rolling.)

Ugh. Infuriating. Beyond infuriating. Infuriating because I wouldn't even dare call ANY of my girls, "girl." Ever. Simply put, it's demeaning.

This disturbs me on multiple levels because it's a symptom of a larger problem--respect. Respect for who I am and what my position is. Clearly these two students have difficulty understanding this, which is why I outlined for both of them why this is incorrect and what the consequences will be if they ever address me in this way again.

I have a student who calls me m'am. Everything is "yes, m'am" or "no m'am" for her. That's respect, and not that I need to be "m'am," I'd sure like more of her.

It's not like I believe I teach from an ivory tower or anything. I get to know some of my students well--I give some of them hugs and even nicknames, but I am never, or will ever be, any student's "girl." I don't know why that's so hard, why I have to have these conversations . . . these fights.