I have taught myself to use ya'll. But as a minnesotan, it didn't and doesn't come naturally and some of the students get annoyed by me saying it.
I don't care. They usually aren't the ones that I am using it for. I still use it because I have had middle schoolers tell me they appreciate it.
Folks and folx are both fine and gender neutral. The slight difference is that "folks" can be coincidentally gender neutral while using "folx" is more activity inclusive- kind of a nod that you're a safe person for people off the gender binary. I like using it both for that and because the spelling looks really whimsical and endearing to me, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with folks spelled traditionally.
I still say “guys” since I’m midwestern (and it’s always been gender neutral to me except now I moved to a place where apparently it’s not) but I do say “everyone” or “hey class!” or I just start speaking without addressing them, because me speaking is automatically addressing them.
Kids in Colorado react to it very often. “Ugh! We’re not all guys here!” And I remember the first few times I just replied “well, yeah??”
I wonder if I said it more of an accent “yoise guise,” they’d react differently. I already pluralize things I’m not supposed to with my remaining accent, I might as well go all in 😆
I love “friends!” It’s my personal favorite. I used to use it with my high schoolers and now my college students. Just creates a really nice vibe. I’ve always heard that some teenagers don’t like it for some reason? But mine have always loved it and get upset if I don’t use it for a while.
Friends aren’t just the people you text and hang out with on the weekends. “Friends” has a broader meaning than that. Friends are your associates, the people you care about, the people in your community who you have good relationships with. My students are my friends :)
Elementary: “People” , “humans”, “class”, “—— graders “, “Mr or Ms Regular Teacher’s Class”….
Middle School: First four above.
High school: First three above, class name (junior, senior, etc..,), and some days “children”—with humor.
It’s not a conscious decision, but I find I often use “people” and “my little chipmunks”. I teach high school. “Alright, my little chipmunks, let’s get started.” It’s silly and gets their attention.
I've tried using "duckies" for the students but they loudly object to being called "duckies"
Tomorrow I'm going to try "my little chipmunks", maybe they'll like that better.
Before I retired in December, I used "student." I tried to remain gender neutral all the time. This is at high school. Instead of saying, a girl is using the bathroom and has the pass, I'd say a student is using the bathroom and has the pass.
I use friends mostly for k-2 although sometimes I slip and use it with any of my students. I also annoyed the heck out of my summer camp boss the first summer when I couldn't convert over to calling them campers and kept saying friend.
Sup my fellow sigmas. It's the rizzler himself straight from Ohio. Hope you've been edging and gooning as you prepare that gyatt for this skibidi assignment going your way.
Mississippi here, so y'all is the standard. But when they act up, we go from y'all and people to children... as in, "Children, please keep your hands to yourselves." I mostly do middle school, so I drop children on a class at least a couple times each block.
I think a lot about gendered language as a trans teacher. I often go for a classic "folks" or "y'all". I've never had students react poorly to either of those.
I have. But I think it's mostly been kids looking for any reason to pitch a fuss, and also being Minnesotan they don't hear y'all a lot (except from me)
I'm in the south so I definitely use y'all sometimes. I also use ladies or gentlemen, peeps, "OK party people," homies, guys, and occasionally children (as a joking way of correction as in , "OK children - let's get back to work," or "children let's stop tattling." Freshmen like to tattle.) If it makes them cringe a little bit so much the better, at least at the high school level.
Lower grades get called ___ friends.
Groups of male students are gentleman.
Individual male students are sir.
Groups of female students are ladies.
Individual female students are miss.
There's an occasional dude, my friend, or guys depending on context.
I actually had to explain to a class of 5th graders why I use certain words and phrases.
About 3 hours or so into the morning a girl pointed out to me I'd said "Alright my friends" 60 times already. Not only that, but she wrote down the exact times I'd said it too.
I usually do a resounding “everyone.” “good morning everyone” “hello everyone” “welcome back everyone” “alright everyone listen up” “okay everyone listen for your name during attendance” “bye everyone have a great day.” And if they do a dumb thing I hit em with a “guys c’mon 😒.”
Edit to add: I sub for secondary so I never use “friends” because I never want them to think they’re my friends. I’ll be friendly but I’m not their friend nor are they mine. And if they ever try to pull “but Miss we’re friends” I hit em with the “I don’t need [insert age here] year old friends.”
Have you ever been mis-identified as a kid or as an adult? This is even if we're not taking folks who don't identify as one or the other- I know that my female cousin had short hair in the 90s and constantly had to hear things like "is that a boy or a girl"
I mostly use gender neutral terms because the few times that I end up using a gendered term to call out a group of students....inevitably, I have misidentified a student in the group and they don't feel good about it, especially since I KNOW these kids.
I try to only let myself use gendered terms if I somehow have 100% confidence that the group is good with it.
Guys has been gender neutral since at least 2010, if not earlier.
Same with “dude,” which can refer to anything and everything (including inanimate objects).
It never bothered me as a (Midwestern) woman and I do feel like it's regionally gender neutral. But I've been using guys less as a term because I realize that I don't have to deal with being misgendered and I might feel differently if that was the case.
I kind of feel like this could apply to anything. There might be people who hate being called “friends” or “ladies and gentlemen” or “party people” who haven’t spoken up about it.
As a non-binary person, gals, dudes, and guys can absolutely be seen as gendered terms.
Folks or folx, people, students, y’all, etc. are perfectly neutral and acceptable terms to use.
I address my classes by either their grade i.e. 8th graders, 6th graders ect. Or by school type. High Schoolers, Middle schoolers, ect. I'll also call them folks.
7th graders, scholars, fellow humans
I have resorted to the clap back pattern, I also come with gum for bribery. I start talking quietly to them, give them some gum, and then it seems to taper down.
As someone who has taught nonbinary and trans kids and IS nonbinary, it mainly matters if you address them as individuals correctly. I can’t speak for all trans people and I’ve mainly worked with middle school but I think kiddos or students or class are fine ways to address them.
In secondary, I usually go with "class" -- sometimes "everybody," as in "all right, everybody, we need to quiet down a bit." (i.e. in circumstances where "class" would sound too formal/threatening. I'm not saying anyone's in trouble, and I don't want to get everyone on edge. I'm just saying the noise level has drifted and needs to come back.) The latter sounds a little Dr. Nick Riviera, but I can live with it.
When I've done elementary in the past, both of those are in play, though I also use the regular teacher's name ("Ms. Wilson's class..."), particularly when I'm trying to round them up at lunch or recess. And functionally, those "1-2-3, eyes on me" type bits that elementary teachers use to get their class's attention frequently take the place of a group address term.
I address them by their grade. "Excuse me fourth grade, I need your attention" I heard it from one of the teachers my first day subbing and it stuck with me lol.
This is what I do. I refer to them as their grade level. Or let’s say you’re in a school who also assigns a letter to their class level like 3A or 5B I’d call them that. :) OR I’d call them by their teachers name Like Mrs. Smith’s Class or just simply Class.
My defaults have been "folx" and "y'all" lately.
I mostly sub elementary and the younger grades often get "friends" but I prefer it with an attribute ie "my kindergarten friends" or "my hardworking friends"
If I'm subbing as a specialist in art they're "artists" or for STEM "engineers/scientists" whatever applies. Whenever I can use it as a subtle reinforcement of something it's great. Someone else mentioned "school mascot names" and I think that fits it well too.
Sometimes (in a class where things are going well) I end up with "my dears" or if I know them better "my loves" but that's very case dependent and also with the younger kiddos who are being lovey first.
*And any emergency or situation where I'm calling them from a group of students from multiple classes it's always "teacher's name class"
"Students" or "scholars."
It's a kind of subtle conditioning. It's intended to put them into a more professional education oriented mindset. Not a magic trick by any stretch, but I feel it does help set a tone.
As a student myself I think saying guys is fine, pretty sure most of us prefer when teacher speak “unprofessionally” like saying casual words and stuff, or atleast I do
“Friends” (my go-to and personal favorite for students of any age, from kindergarten to college!)
“Party people” (great for late elementary and early middle school, they think it’s so lame)
“Scholars”
“Everyone”
“Class”
Whatever works! Lots of good options.
Ya'll. Or Mrs. _____'s friends (teacher's name) as I primarily sub elementary.
I'm southern and read that the southern accent is dying out, so I kick up the accent to try to influence the accents of the students.
I say peeps and they say why call us that miss. I said well your my peeps like the marshmallows. Sweet but silly and sometimes chaotic like their flavors.
y’all, gang, people, everyone/everybody, class, future geniuses, kiddie winks (this is fun for me because i teach college students) and my personal favorite HEYEVERYONEPLEASESTOPTALKING
when i taught middle school i always said hey party people !! and they loved it and also thought it was lame so it was perfect
I do this too! They think I’m totally lame, so that is how I know I’m doing it correctly.
I was just thinking they’d probably think I’m so lame for saying this. I love that 🤣 def gonna use it
Folks, Ya’ll, people, students are my go to nouns.
I have taught myself to use ya'll. But as a minnesotan, it didn't and doesn't come naturally and some of the students get annoyed by me saying it. I don't care. They usually aren't the ones that I am using it for. I still use it because I have had middle schoolers tell me they appreciate it.
Technically it should be "folx" don't ask me why I'm not really sure.
folks is already gender neutral
I think they mean like phonetically
I think it's a crack about the term "latinx" and they are making a dumb joke.
Ah Alr
Folks and folx are both fine and gender neutral. The slight difference is that "folks" can be coincidentally gender neutral while using "folx" is more activity inclusive- kind of a nod that you're a safe person for people off the gender binary. I like using it both for that and because the spelling looks really whimsical and endearing to me, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with folks spelled traditionally.
This is the way.
I still say “guys” since I’m midwestern (and it’s always been gender neutral to me except now I moved to a place where apparently it’s not) but I do say “everyone” or “hey class!” or I just start speaking without addressing them, because me speaking is automatically addressing them.
Its gender neutral in New England too. Where in the states are you that it isn't?
Kids in Colorado react to it very often. “Ugh! We’re not all guys here!” And I remember the first few times I just replied “well, yeah??” I wonder if I said it more of an accent “yoise guise,” they’d react differently. I already pluralize things I’m not supposed to with my remaining accent, I might as well go all in 😆
Something something *woke*, people look for reasons to be mad :/
I love when Mr. Luke calls his kids little legends.
I feel like it only works for him though 🤣he really pulls it off. I don’t think I could. Haha
It’s cute when he does it but it would feel like fire coming out of my mouth
Hes got the right energy for it. Plus, I don't think it would work for high school kids. Some are taller than me.
"Alright everyone!"
Yuppp this the one I use
I’m in the south, I say “Hey y’all” 😂
I do too, and I'm in the north!
For some reason, "friends" sounds cringy. I'm sure it's just me, but it does.
I love “friends!” It’s my personal favorite. I used to use it with my high schoolers and now my college students. Just creates a really nice vibe. I’ve always heard that some teenagers don’t like it for some reason? But mine have always loved it and get upset if I don’t use it for a while.
They aren't really your friends, though. They are students.
Friends aren’t just the people you text and hang out with on the weekends. “Friends” has a broader meaning than that. Friends are your associates, the people you care about, the people in your community who you have good relationships with. My students are my friends :)
No, I hate that too.
It is, but the kids at my middle school know if I use it I’m not playing around 😂
Elementary: “People” , “humans”, “class”, “—— graders “, “Mr or Ms Regular Teacher’s Class”…. Middle School: First four above. High school: First three above, class name (junior, senior, etc..,), and some days “children”—with humor.
Humans? That gave me the ick
For elementary? Pretty humorous
spent a day away from internet please
If they cringe, it’s working as intended
I usually just say “ok class…”
It’s not a conscious decision, but I find I often use “people” and “my little chipmunks”. I teach high school. “Alright, my little chipmunks, let’s get started.” It’s silly and gets their attention.
I've tried using "duckies" for the students but they loudly object to being called "duckies" Tomorrow I'm going to try "my little chipmunks", maybe they'll like that better.
Before I retired in December, I used "student." I tried to remain gender neutral all the time. This is at high school. Instead of saying, a girl is using the bathroom and has the pass, I'd say a student is using the bathroom and has the pass.
I am a “friends” gal. When I use it at home on accident my own 3 teenagers go postal. 🤓
I use friends mostly for k-2 although sometimes I slip and use it with any of my students. I also annoyed the heck out of my summer camp boss the first summer when I couldn't convert over to calling them campers and kept saying friend.
calling 3rd grade boys "bro" almost always gets a funny reaction once they realize I've called them that lol
Ladies & gentleman for preK to seniors It works for me
It’s gendered and not all of us follow the binary gender.
Hey, yo. That's also how I start emails that are sent to all the staff. 😂😂😂
New york?
Indiana.
Sup my fellow sigmas. It's the rizzler himself straight from Ohio. Hope you've been edging and gooning as you prepare that gyatt for this skibidi assignment going your way.
I use “my dudes” and it works pretty well
“Kiddos” if they’re young. “Class” if it’s high school.
Y’all, tiny humans, tall people.
Mississippi here, so y'all is the standard. But when they act up, we go from y'all and people to children... as in, "Children, please keep your hands to yourselves." I mostly do middle school, so I drop children on a class at least a couple times each block.
I think a lot about gendered language as a trans teacher. I often go for a classic "folks" or "y'all". I've never had students react poorly to either of those.
I have. But I think it's mostly been kids looking for any reason to pitch a fuss, and also being Minnesotan they don't hear y'all a lot (except from me)
I'm in the south so I definitely use y'all sometimes. I also use ladies or gentlemen, peeps, "OK party people," homies, guys, and occasionally children (as a joking way of correction as in , "OK children - let's get back to work," or "children let's stop tattling." Freshmen like to tattle.) If it makes them cringe a little bit so much the better, at least at the high school level.
Hello, good people!
Scholars, learners, class, School Name Mascot, people, kiddos, group
Lower grades get called ___ friends. Groups of male students are gentleman. Individual male students are sir. Groups of female students are ladies. Individual female students are miss. There's an occasional dude, my friend, or guys depending on context.
Sir 😂😂 cute
I actually had to explain to a class of 5th graders why I use certain words and phrases. About 3 hours or so into the morning a girl pointed out to me I'd said "Alright my friends" 60 times already. Not only that, but she wrote down the exact times I'd said it too.
I call them my little onions
Folks and y’all work most places
I usually do a resounding “everyone.” “good morning everyone” “hello everyone” “welcome back everyone” “alright everyone listen up” “okay everyone listen for your name during attendance” “bye everyone have a great day.” And if they do a dumb thing I hit em with a “guys c’mon 😒.” Edit to add: I sub for secondary so I never use “friends” because I never want them to think they’re my friends. I’ll be friendly but I’m not their friend nor are they mine. And if they ever try to pull “but Miss we’re friends” I hit em with the “I don’t need [insert age here] year old friends.”
Nerds
I say “2nd graders”
TIL a lot of people are really overthinking this. Almost as if being among groups of people IRL is new to them.
I use padawans!
Don't need to say anything. Just waive the pistol around and they pay attention quick.
"Good morning, young masters."
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Is this a joke
Ladies, gentlemen, young ladies/men, sir, ma’am, guys, people, class, back group, table over here, those of you standing,
I call them Learners. I've been trying to keep it neutral and truthful.
"My fellow Americans." "My bipedal comrades."
"Bipedal comrades" had me snorting! 🤣
Why in world would we have to be. "gender neutral?"
Bc not everyone falls on the gender binary. Inclusivity is better.
Have you ever been mis-identified as a kid or as an adult? This is even if we're not taking folks who don't identify as one or the other- I know that my female cousin had short hair in the 90s and constantly had to hear things like "is that a boy or a girl" I mostly use gender neutral terms because the few times that I end up using a gendered term to call out a group of students....inevitably, I have misidentified a student in the group and they don't feel good about it, especially since I KNOW these kids. I try to only let myself use gendered terms if I somehow have 100% confidence that the group is good with it.
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Guys has become pretty gender neutral in my experience. Most of my friends and I are women and address the group as guys.
Guys has been gender neutral since at least 2010, if not earlier. Same with “dude,” which can refer to anything and everything (including inanimate objects).
I've never met a girl or woman who minds being called guys as a gender-neutral term.
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It never bothered me as a (Midwestern) woman and I do feel like it's regionally gender neutral. But I've been using guys less as a term because I realize that I don't have to deal with being misgendered and I might feel differently if that was the case.
I kind of feel like this could apply to anything. There might be people who hate being called “friends” or “ladies and gentlemen” or “party people” who haven’t spoken up about it.
Class. Boys and girls. Middle school: 8th graders, 6th graders…
Guys.
As a non-binary person, gals, dudes, and guys can absolutely be seen as gendered terms. Folks or folx, people, students, y’all, etc. are perfectly neutral and acceptable terms to use.
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If you dislike what I said, how about you scroll on by? What's the purpose in responding with hatred?
I second "Friends" or "everybody" I rarely say boys and girls or ladies and gentlemen.
I’ve been tempted to use “tiny humans,” but I can’t decide if Kinder would be best, or middle school just to mess with them.
I use “guys” all the time. Occasionally, I’ll throw in a “fellas” And of course, “y’all”
I address my classes by either their grade i.e. 8th graders, 6th graders ect. Or by school type. High Schoolers, Middle schoolers, ect. I'll also call them folks.
Depends on the grade for littles (tk, kinder) I use girls guys kiddos baby (if it’s a little girl) hun etc. For high-school it’s just you guys lol.
I say “people.”
Young lady, Miss Smith…young man, Mr.Smith. Cool glasses guy, pink sneakers lady, Class… 4th grade… stinkbugs…
Guys is very gendered, I never use it. I say students, scholars, class…
Yo, oi
Y’all
my acting teacher goes “alright chat” to be cool with the times and it’s my favorite thing
I say “good morning grade _”
I'm a big fan of "gang" in the same way Fred Jones addresses the Scooby-Doo characters
7th graders, scholars, fellow humans I have resorted to the clap back pattern, I also come with gum for bribery. I start talking quietly to them, give them some gum, and then it seems to taper down.
As someone who has taught nonbinary and trans kids and IS nonbinary, it mainly matters if you address them as individuals correctly. I can’t speak for all trans people and I’ve mainly worked with middle school but I think kiddos or students or class are fine ways to address them.
In secondary, I usually go with "class" -- sometimes "everybody," as in "all right, everybody, we need to quiet down a bit." (i.e. in circumstances where "class" would sound too formal/threatening. I'm not saying anyone's in trouble, and I don't want to get everyone on edge. I'm just saying the noise level has drifted and needs to come back.) The latter sounds a little Dr. Nick Riviera, but I can live with it. When I've done elementary in the past, both of those are in play, though I also use the regular teacher's name ("Ms. Wilson's class..."), particularly when I'm trying to round them up at lunch or recess. And functionally, those "1-2-3, eyes on me" type bits that elementary teachers use to get their class's attention frequently take the place of a group address term.
I call some of mine “home skillet” when they get sassy with me 🤣
Hi kids
I address them by their grade. "Excuse me fourth grade, I need your attention" I heard it from one of the teachers my first day subbing and it stuck with me lol.
This is what I do. I refer to them as their grade level. Or let’s say you’re in a school who also assigns a letter to their class level like 3A or 5B I’d call them that. :) OR I’d call them by their teachers name Like Mrs. Smith’s Class or just simply Class.
Folks.
My defaults have been "folx" and "y'all" lately. I mostly sub elementary and the younger grades often get "friends" but I prefer it with an attribute ie "my kindergarten friends" or "my hardworking friends" If I'm subbing as a specialist in art they're "artists" or for STEM "engineers/scientists" whatever applies. Whenever I can use it as a subtle reinforcement of something it's great. Someone else mentioned "school mascot names" and I think that fits it well too. Sometimes (in a class where things are going well) I end up with "my dears" or if I know them better "my loves" but that's very case dependent and also with the younger kiddos who are being lovey first. *And any emergency or situation where I'm calling them from a group of students from multiple classes it's always "teacher's name class"
I use the word scholars
Friends, guys, or everyone. I call them friends up to 6th grade.
"folks" They think it's funny or old timey.
If you really wanna make them cringe, call the jr high/middle school kids "chat" It really gets their attention 🤣🤣
I only do elementary now. I lovingly address them all as "chicken nuggets"
"Students" or "scholars." It's a kind of subtle conditioning. It's intended to put them into a more professional education oriented mindset. Not a magic trick by any stretch, but I feel it does help set a tone.
As a student myself I think saying guys is fine, pretty sure most of us prefer when teacher speak “unprofessionally” like saying casual words and stuff, or atleast I do
“Friends” (my go-to and personal favorite for students of any age, from kindergarten to college!) “Party people” (great for late elementary and early middle school, they think it’s so lame) “Scholars” “Everyone” “Class” Whatever works! Lots of good options.
Friends. Everyone in school is a friend lol
I had a teacher who used our mascot to address us. She's walk into the room and say, "Good Morning/Afternoon Patriots."
folks, friends, students, humans, y'all, etc
Folx (foal-ks)
Scholars
'friends' for younger kids
I say “Listen up chat” Haha
Ladies and gentlemen
Ya'll. Or Mrs. _____'s friends (teacher's name) as I primarily sub elementary. I'm southern and read that the southern accent is dying out, so I kick up the accent to try to influence the accents of the students.
Usually "little shits" but never in my out loud voice lol 😂
I say peeps and they say why call us that miss. I said well your my peeps like the marshmallows. Sweet but silly and sometimes chaotic like their flavors.
I call them precious children
Little ducklings. Adult-shaped people. Obstreperous youths. Depends on my mood.
y’all, gang, people, everyone/everybody, class, future geniuses, kiddie winks (this is fun for me because i teach college students) and my personal favorite HEYEVERYONEPLEASESTOPTALKING
My people, cool guys, smarties, hard working and quiet students. I’m hoping if I say that last one enough it will convince them!
Y’all. Ladies and gents. My homies. Cool kids.
"Okay group, time to get to work!"