In grad school, I tried to get students to call me by my first name. Professor drove me up a wall.
When I was postdocing, I signed emails by my full name, and was fairly indifferent to first name vs. doctor. I don't remember if students used the title professor with me, and if they did, how I reacted. I did still feel the "I'm not really a professor" weirdness. Mr. was just... no. Just no. If you want to be formal, I have a fucking degree and my teaching position depends on that degree; fucking use it.
One possible difference between math (and other STEM subjects) and the humanities is other ways of indicating authority. When I'm teaching you number theory, or calculus, or whatever, I know this shit and you don't, at least not at the beginning of the course. The students know this; they see me know this stuff cold that they're struggling with. Of course, you know writing cold too and the students are struggling with it, but in the humanities it's easier for students to bullshit and think that they've fooled you. Of course they haven't fooled you, but they behave as confidently as if they did.
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Date: 2016-12-21 02:43 am (UTC)When I was postdocing, I signed emails by my full name, and was fairly indifferent to first name vs. doctor. I don't remember if students used the title professor with me, and if they did, how I reacted. I did still feel the "I'm not really a professor" weirdness. Mr. was just... no. Just no. If you want to be formal, I have a fucking degree and my teaching position depends on that degree; fucking use it.
One possible difference between math (and other STEM subjects) and the humanities is other ways of indicating authority. When I'm teaching you number theory, or calculus, or whatever, I know this shit and you don't, at least not at the beginning of the course. The students know this; they see me know this stuff cold that they're struggling with. Of course, you know writing cold too and the students are struggling with it, but in the humanities it's easier for students to bullshit and think that they've fooled you. Of course they haven't fooled you, but they behave as confidently as if they did.