When I first began as a Profe, I introduced myself as Sara because I thought it would help make me approachable to my students. I found that instead it reinforced those invisible structures of power as my BIPOC and first-gen students never dared cross that line out of respect. https://twitter.com/poetpedagogue/status/1334673244276875264

Now I discuss why I prefer to go by Dr./Prof. Gonzalez and strategies they might use to figure out how best to address their other professors and why it matters. When I see other faculty upset at how students email them, most don't understand the hidden norms of communication.

In my lab and in the field the conversation is about what we are each comfortable with in terms of forms of address. I let them know how my approach has changed and why and that the norm in our field in those contexts is often more informal.

Most aren't initially comfortable being on a first-name basis with their Professor. Some never feel comfortable. But when in the field, brushing your teeth at 6am with students tends to break down norms real quick! As does living in community.

That our field project treats students as equal knowledge contributors helps to create a setting where respect isn't just something demonstrated through titles or address, but how we are in relation to one another.

That's really the lesson I wanted to teach students when I first started out in giving them permission to be on a first-name basis; that I respected them. Too often Professors don't demonstrate that respect and students can tell and the relationship is poorer because of it.

Now I describe teaching as building a relationship. This lets us, students and faculty, discuss things like appropriate boundary setting, consent, needs, responsibilities, etc. To me, these are the important things that often go unsaid but that we hold folks accountable to.

tl;dr Invite your students in so they can better understand how relationships in the Academy work so we can begin to improve upon them together.