A Phd teaching 1st Grade

[Hermosa11]

I totally agree. What is the difference if you address the person as Ms. Mr. Mrs. or Doctor! I will tell you if I had a doctorate I would use it .They are not a dime a dozen (very expensive)AND they are a lot of hard work. I am sure it did not bother the kids so why should it bother the parents. If you took your child to a pedi would you get upset he/she expected the child to call him/her by the title doctor???

totally DITTO.
I agree......no difference with addressing Mr. Smith, or Miss Smith.

 

[MM27]

Here's a little twist- at DD's school (and where I work) all of the students call the teachers and staff members by their first names. I'm not defending nor debating the practice because it is what it is. I don't have a problem with it regardless.

I would not have a problem with my students calling me by my first name, but I know some teachers in my school that would never allow it. The kids love it when they figure out a teacher's first name, like they've solved some big mystery in life. Actually, I sometimes call my students by their last names sometimes with a Miss or Mr. attached.

 

[DawnCt1]

I, too, agree that people who have earned a Ph.D have earned the right to be called Doctor. However, I think it might be confusing to 5 and 6 yo's who's only previous dealings with a "Doctor", is thier M.D. KWIM? I just think insisting that 1st graders call you "Doctor" is a little over the top in self validation. Older kids? Sure, they would get it. But I would think little one's could be easily confused.

First grade is NOT to young to learn the difference.

 

[Soubrette]

I totally agree. What is the difference if you address the person as Ms. Mr. Mrs. or Doctor! I will tell you if I had a doctorate I would use it .They are not a dime a dozen (very expensive)AND they are a lot of hard work. I am sure it did not bother the kids so why should it bother the parents. If you took your child to a pedi would you get upset he/she expected the child to call him/her by the title doctor???

Yes; they are very, very expensive. And since I'll be paying through the nose for mine for the next thirty years, I might just use the title every now and again...even to get a better table in a restaurant.

I just finished my doctorate last Dec. and am still adjusting to the title thing. I'm a pretty casual person, but I'll be using my title with students for the first time this fall. It's just appropriate for a collegiate setting...and as a female who looks young and stands at just under 5'3", I need a little stature (even if it's symbolic ).

I'm also beginning to see how having a doctorate is a double edged sword, so to speak. People think you must be an "expert" on all manner of things, when really you only know one small area of study really, really well. They also expect you to be snooty and elitist even before they've met you. Sometimes you have to work really hard to overcome that initial impression.

 

[Tiffer]

Too bad your kids didn't have me.

Too bad mine didn't either.

If he went through the rigormarole of earning a doctorate then he deserves the title IMHO. I know plenty of medical doctors who should be stripped of their title.

In high school, my italian teacher earned his doctorate. We called him "Dottore Samperi" instead of Dr. Samperi. Hands down my favorite teacher ever.

Lawyers have Doctorate degrees too. They are not called Dr. Just because you have a Doctorate doesn't mean you should be called Dr. Sometimes it is pretentious.

 

[Galahad]

My mother taught Kindergarten for 33 years. She has a PhD as does my Father. My mother has never used "Dr." for anything - certainly not with kids or parents. (My dad was eventually an administrator and the "Dr." is a bit more common in those circles.).


ETA - in fact - most people I know that have a doctorate that are not medical and not at a university don't really use the title.

 

[djm99]

I'm sorry - if I earned mine I would want everyone to call me DR too. As a matter of fact, I tease all the time about my two masters and wish it was a way to sign my name with a small number "2" over my MA -

 

[Mickey Fliers]

First grade is NOT to young to learn the difference.

I never said that first grade was too young to learn the difference. I said it could be confusing. I still stand by that opinion. If someone with a Ph.D wants to be addressed as "Doctor" by 5/6 yo's, then whatever. I would have my child respect their wishes. However, I don't see the need for self-validation from young children.

 

[Tinijocaro]

A friend was telling me of last year's "horror story" of her son's teacher who was really a piece of work. In describing the letters sent home to the parents they would go as follows....

" Next week, Dr. Smith's class will have a field trip to the museum. Every child in Dr. Smith's class should pack a brown bag lunch. All children in Dr. Smith's class must return the permission slip by Monday. "

The funniest thing in her tirade was the fact that all the kids had to address her as Doctor Smith when speaking to her!

Hopefully, that will be the worst "horror story" she'll encounter. Some people make such a fuss about nothing- what will it hurt anyone to call the teacher by her earned title- the students certainly won't care.. I don't know many phd's who DON'T go by 'dr.

 

[disneydude91]

If he has earned his PhD then he deserves the Dr. prefix in his name. Granted, someone with a PhD probably should be teaching a higher grade level. That is not the teachers fault. It is the school's fault.

 

[salal]

My friend has her Master's degree and is an adjunct College professor. Her DH has his master's degree and is the administrator of a large local hospital-they both regaled the difficulties with this teacher last year and both thought her note pretentious.

 

[RitaZ.]

Lawyers have Doctorate degrees too. They are not called Dr. Just because you have a Doctorate doesn't mean you should be called Dr. Sometimes it is pretentious.

One of DS's former teachers (9th grade) has a J.D. and she insisted on being called Dr..

 

[MushyMushy]

Lawyers have Doctorate degrees too. They are not called Dr. Just because you have a Doctorate doesn't mean you should be called Dr. Sometimes it is pretentious.

Why would it be pretentious in a professional setting?

The only place it might be pretentious is in a social setting.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

See that's the part I don't get.

If you have a PHD, why the heck are you teaching 1st Grade???

Since I have been mocked countless times on message boards for suggesting teachers are NOT the most important people in society, I have to ask why NOT have a PhD. teach first grade? If the general idea is that teachers are doing the most important job with our most precious resource, wouldn't you WANT a very highly-educated person in that role? I am not sure it can go both ways...either it is the most noble/important job one can have, or not.

 

[castleview]

We had a foreign language teacher who had a doctorate in Latin. We called him "Mr." or "Doctor". He was pretty easygoing about what we called him (as long as it was nice ).

My theory is "to each their own". If she wants to be called "Dr." and has earned it, why not? When I taught gymnastics, I made my students call me "Goddess" when I got tired of "Miss Allison". The kids didn't have a problem with it.

 

[Steffi]

I have no problem with referring to someone with a Ph.D. as Doctor. However, mentioning it 3 times in a vey short note indicates to me that they are a bit impressed with themselves.

My sister has a Ph.D. And, yes, she's incredibly impressed with herself. What annoys me most is that when my mom was in the hospital, she called the ER announcing herself on the phone as Dr. H. because she felt they weren't telling me everything because I'm not a Doctor (and therefore too idiotic to ask the proper questions.) Hello, you are not an MD, my friend. They told her the same thing they'd been telling me--they were waiting on the test results. She also feels anyone who dares to disagree with her is "just jealous because I have my Ph.D." Whatever.
I work at a college and I can't swing a cat without hitting someone with a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. Most are very down to earth and don't bandy their doctorate about to all and sundry. None of them impersonate a medical doctor either.

Because of my sister's attitude, I'd tend to think someone who mentioned the fact that they were a doctor 3 times in a short note just might be a tad impressed with themselves.

Oh, my brother did the same thing every time my mom was in the hospital with CHF, and when my dad was in the hospital for a heart attack. So irritating. He acted like the doctors weren't doing anything until he got there and started throwing his title around.

Now that that's off my chest, I'm all for a teacher using their earned title in the appropriate setting.

 

[emma'smom]

I don't see a problem with it either. The title was earned.

pinnie

Because it might pay more than teaching at the higher ed level!

 

[emma'smom]

I, too, agree that people who have earned a Ph.D have earned the right to be called Doctor. However, I think it might be confusing to 5 and 6 yo's who's only previous dealings with a "Doctor", is thier M.D. KWIM? I just think insisting that 1st graders call you "Doctor" is a little over the top in self validation. Older kids? Sure, they would get it. But I would think little one's could be easily confused.

We live in a college town and my dd5 and dd2 don't bat an eye at calling their friend's parents Dr. xyz and Dr. abc. In fact, her Sunday School teachers both happen to have doctorates and they are called by their proper titles. My dd5 knows there are different kinds of doctors who are called Dr. based upon their earned degree. Some are MD's and some have other ares of expertise. We had four Drs. at kindercamp last year...and not one child batted was confused over which one was the medical doctor and which ones were other kinds of doctors.

 

[Aidensmom]

I don't see the problem with someone being called by their professional title in their professional setting. If my neighbor made me address them that way, I'd think it a little strange, but not if it was my child's teacher. I'd actually think it was kind of great that someone with that much education had such a love for what they had chosen to get a degree in that they decided to teach 1st grade.

As far as the note, it could have been a template, it could have been typed by someone else, or perhaps there was an emphasis on whose class it was for some past mixup.

 

[katiebsmom]

YOU spend 12+ years in college struggling to make it and I'd be willing to bet you would be proud of your EARNED title too. While my DH prefers NOT to let people know he has a PhD, I think it's rediculous that people begrudge that well deserved right!