elementary school teachers or parents - question

SoonToBeMrsDTS

So this seems so silly that I am worried about this now but I was talking to two parents with older kids who said that at their schools the teachers only called the kids by what was on the roll so no nicknames. One has a son who we all call Drew but at school his teacher said he had to go by his full name so he's Andrew at school. My friend said she wrote on every form "goes by Drew" and even talked to the teacher but was told that they "go by legal names at school". 

DD goes by a nickname. She knows what her full name is and can write it but everyone calls her by her nickname.  DS is the VIII so he goes by his middle name. DH goes by a nickname and his dad goes by the full first name. I really don't want DS going by his legal first name, it's already confusing enough with having so many people in our family with the same name! 

Is this the policy everywhere and why??  

doggylovr

I was an elementary school teacher for five years and have never heard if that. I even waited until school started to make the desk name tags to find out what everyone goes by....

meganjoey0728

I am an elementary teacher and always ask the kids what they want to be called on day one. Why not have happy kids?! I'm sure the teachers at your child's school will be willing to call your child by their nickname!

cep1976

H is an elementary school art teacher and this is definitely NOT the policy at either of the two schools he splits his time between.

kastle

that is totally weird.  not an elementary school parent or teacher, though.  all i know is that i do not respond to my legal name.  i hate it.

mommmyz

I've taught first grade for 10 years now...and I've never heard of this. Though, if you want to make a teacher super happy, as soon as you know who your child's teacher is, let them know what your child goes by. We generally do all the "name" stuff around the classroom the week before (you'd be surprised, we put their names on about 15 different things around the room) and it's much easier to get it right the first time. But, I always change it, no problem at all. Names are such personal things!

vml14

Ditto everyone else -- I've had lots of kids with nicknames/go by middle names, etc.

But, when I was in 1st grade (many moons ago), I went to a Catholic school, and my teacher (not even a nun) insisted on calling me by my full name.  Which I hated.  No one ever uses it, and while I like it, I do not like to be called it.  So, maybe do these kids go to a private or catholic school?

cmh06

doggylovr:

I was an elementary school teacher for five years and have never heard if that. I even waited until school started to make the desk name tags to find out what everyone goes by....

This.  I've been teaching for 14 years and I always ask the students what they want to go by and write that on their name tags, cubbies, books, etc.

jess08200

I've been teaching for 11 years and I've always asked the kids to tell me what they want to be called.

VTeach06

I've taught for several years and never come across this either. All I can think is that when students register with the county, they have to use whatever name is on their birth certificate, so official documents like report cards always had their full name.  In the classroom, etc, using a nickname is usually not an issue.

SoonToBeMrsDTS

vml14:

Ditto everyone else -- I've had lots of kids with nicknames/go by middle names, etc.

But, when I was in 1st grade (many moons ago), I went to a Catholic school, and my teacher (not even a nun) insisted on calling me by my full name.  Which I hated.  No one ever uses it, and while I like it, I do not like to be called it.  So, maybe do these kids go to a private or catholic school?

Nope, it's a public school in the county we live in.