Ukrainian students have started to abandon the traditional addressing of teachers by their first name and patronymic in favor of a more modern approach. This trend is attributed to geography teacher Andrii Utkin, who shared his experience on the Threads social network.
'In public schools, and sometimes in private ones, teachers are traditionally addressed by their first name and patronymic. As soon as I became Oleksiyovych in public school, my self-esteem started to grow, my belly appeared, and later I grew a beard that turned gray. But how my world changed when in a private school students began to call me: 'Mr. Andrii' (or just Andrii). And although my belly and beard remain in place, and I am losing my hair, I feel younger at heart. Such an address is much more pleasant for me. Isn't that normal?', – noted Andrii Utkin.
The use of personal names to address teachers has received support among colleagues and other educators. Every day, more and more teachers are starting to communicate with students in a more informal manner, giving students a greater sense of equality and trust in communication.
Reaction of experts and educators
Experts emphasize that this way of addressing belongs to important changes in schools, fostering more open and partnership communication between students and teachers. These new trends in school education indicate a gradual transformation of Ukrainian education according to European standards of communication.