By any other name

Riverwalk, we had the Irene problem in my school, too. The thing is, the correct pronunciation is Ireenee. It’s a Greek name. Nobody says Peneloap, but people do say Ireen. We had teachers who refused to say Ireen, because they saw it as incorrect and .thought it their job to correct it. I sympathise, but I suppose we have to pronounce (and spell) names the way their owners want.

I know someone called Karolyne (Caroline).


k name

Oh Bathsheba that poem is so poignant. Perfectly illustrates the changes in name to reflect life changes. I don’t t read poetry much but I like Wendy Cope.

Baggs: Ever tried being a teacher? It's an extremely difficult job. Would you accuse any other profession of being stupid? Ever done anything stupid yourself? Lay off teachers, most are trying to do their best in a difficult climate.

My neighbour across the road called me Alice for several years. He has got it right now. It's Alison.

But I was very disconcerted at the chemist's, for a repeat prescription recently, to be told firmly that I hadn't put in a prescription since July! There have been previous problems with my name.... I did get my pills in the end.

I'm slowly realising that there must be someone around here who is called Alice Oxon!

The bit about the name may be true but I doubt that any teacher ever threatened exclusion over such a thing. Exclusion is a process that requires proper records of behaviour be kept, a number of disciplinary measures tried and is used as a last resort. This post may be thought of as a joke but exclusion is no laughing matter and 1000 more pupils were excluded last year than the previous year.https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/jul/19/sharp-rise-in-pupil-exclusions-from-english-state-schools

jaxie, my response to your question is Yes.

I should add that neither I nor my children have any experience of the kind of teacher stupidity mentioned on this thread. I think that's why I find it so surprising.

But let's be realistic. There will be a similar proportion of silly or stupid teachers as there are silly or stupid people in the rest of the human race.

I agree about your assessment, trisher.

PS jaxie, making an effort to get pupils' names right is not a hard part of the job.

I once had a student who told me her name was Tabby. I did call her this but cold not help thinking it sounded like I was calling a cat. She was called Tabitha but refused to be called this because of the programme Tabitha the witch.

Have had the same issue with my name all my life.....I am Patti, not Patricia, although my sister always called me Trish.

Bathsheba the poem sums it up. A dear friend who was always known by her middle name of Marjorie, in her confused last months in hospital and a nursing home was continually called Constance which was the name on her records. As if she needed any further confusion in her life in those final stages.

Of course, I told them. They didn't listen....

Everyone in our class was called by full name, boys by surnames usually - I thought it was usual practice in 'those days'. At home we called all our DC by their full names except for the youngest who was named by siblings and always had a shortened name. However before school we made sure the youngest DC knew full first name which, indeed, was used by the teacher. Can't believe tbh that a primary teacher would threaten to exclude a child for not responding to their name.

Grandma70s I had a maths teacher in Canada who used to call a girl in the class Peneloap. He was a nasty character and did it for effect. No one would have dared stand up to him. He was also a really bad teacher.

My name is Julia. When I was young and friends used to call for me, if they said ‘is JuliE in?’ Mum used to say that no one of that name lived in their house!!!! I must admit to ignoring people over the years if they’ve called me Julie

Nobody has ever mispronounced my name (one syllable) but it has two equally popular spellings. I don’t expect anyone to remember which spelling is mine and I ignore when it’s wrong.
I just wonder why my mother gave me the commonest, plainest name of my generation. Sigh.