How do you address your Professor?
I have a conundrum. I'm back in school and am not sure how to address my professors/ teachers. I am older than some of the teachers at my school, and don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.
I've asked them what they want to be called, and have gotten answers of "Oh, I'll answer to anything." or "Just call me Karen." So should I call her Professor Karen? Dr. Karen? Would just plain old "Karen" be disrespectful? What if I'm older than Karen, would calling her Dr. Karen or Professor Karen seem patronizing or too cutesy? Should I call her Dr. Smith or Professor Smith and keep it formal?
I'm so uncomfortable with this, I've really just avoided using their names entirely. This is awkward too. It appears that I've forgotten their names when I purposely avoid using it.:-[
Re: How do you address your Professor?
professor or doctor if that title is applicable.
there's no reason you being older than them
takes away from the time and pain they put
into their degrees to become a teacher.
if Karen is called Karen by everyone do that.
I tend to prefer a more formal approach but
in the end you can do what most others do.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
I actually feel more comfortable with a formal approach. But it is weird when he/she is ambiguous about titles.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
Yeah, do what everyone else is doing. Most professors go by their first names nowadays, but you still get some old school types who will tell you their first name is Doctor.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
"Professor." Until I'm told otherwise.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
professor lastname works pretty well. even 'call me by my first name' professors are ok with "professor jones", as are most of the 'doctor jones'-type profs.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
if you feel more comfortable with a formal approach then call her professor smith. she doesn't mind being called karen but i'm sure you won't be the only one calling her prof. smith.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
just "professor" or "doctor" for me too. i keep it simple.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
I *always* call my address my professors as either "Professor so and so" or "Doctor so and so." They worked hard for their degrees and deserve such respect, in my opinion.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
I always stick with "professor so-and-so." I don't think its patronizing if you're older, its their title! I don't call them doctor unless they specifically ask to be called that because not all professors have their doctorate, although most do.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
I usually just use whatever they introduce themselves with on the first day of class. I used to talk with my psychology professor till the sun went down, but even then I still referred to her as Dr. ___. Technically she was an 'assistant professor', but it just sounded too awkward to say that, especially when she worked hard for a doctorate. So I stick to Dr., Mr., or Mrs./Ms. ___.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
If she said to call her Karen, I would call her that. If the professor doesn't specify, I say Professor so and so or Doctor so and so. I'm always careful to not use Mr. or Ms. if they have their doctorate, because I think it's insulting. I think younger professors are more comfortable with being addressed informally.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
I go off whatever they tell me to call them. It makes me uncomfortable calling them just by their first names, but most of them seem to prefer that, so...:shrug:
Re: How do you address your Professor?
My father is a professor. His thoughts on the matter (this topic came up when I went to grad school):
At the undergrad level, you call them Professor ___ until told otherwise. PhD students are on a first-name basis. Matser's students tend to do both, as the adjustment from "last semester it was Professor and now it's their first name" can take a while to make. His personal observation was that female students tended to use "Professor" a bit more than male students, and with emphasis, in an attempt to reenforce the professional nature of the relationship.
I'll defer to him on this, he's been doing it longer than I've been alive.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
I always called my professors "Professor". :shrug: I rarely used their actual last name unless I was writing an email or a paper.
For example: "Professor, how would you quantify this thingy...." Worked for moi.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
I usually say Professor, but I tend to not like addressing my teachers. I usually say "excuse me, ...." I dunno, I just feel awkward being so formal.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
Mine always say in the beginning of the semester what they prefer to be called. Otherwise before the semester I call them Mr. or Ms. or Professor.
Re: How do you address your Professor?
I go with whatever they tell me to call them. In the event they don't tell me, I use professor whatever, and if they tell me not to, i stop. if they dont tell me not to, i keep using the formal. if they tell you to call them by their first name, go ahead, they wouldnt tell you to if they found it disrepectful
Re: How do you address your Professor?
i just say professor. no last or first name . just professor
Re: How do you address your Professor?
I've only had one prof that wanted to be addressed as "professor". First names are fairly common now, aren't they?
Re: How do you address your Professor?
Sir or Ma'am
good southern manners crossed with military rules.
they usually answer to it.