During my junior year of high school, I had a teacher who did not pronounce my name right. She did not try to learn or pronounce my name correctly for the entire school year. Yes, I am being serious, if you do not believe me. At first, I pitied her because she gave up trying to pronounce my name, but later on when I realized that she stopped calling me and would just point at me, I was fed up.  When my friends first realized this, they laughed, but then told me that I should talk to her about it. However, I did not talk to her about it, and now I regret it because I don’t want another student who has a unique name to have a teacher who does not learn and pronounce their name correctly. It is disrespectful.

What annoys me the most, are those types of teachers and people in general who try and give me nicknames because they cannot pronounce my name. No, I will not allow you to disregard the name that my parents and relatives gave me, the name that has meaning to it. People’s ignorance bothers me. Is it so hard for you to just learn someone’s name? Rather than giving me a nickname, I have a better suggestion: learn how to pronounce my name. I don’t care how long it takes you, as long as you are learning how to pronounce it. Use a flashcard, a whiteboard, or whatever, just learn my name. If it helps, why don’t you study my name everyday?

You’re probably asking, what about those people who want to be called by a different name? Well, that is their preference, because they are either so tired of people pronouncing their name wrong or they just want to be called something different. To be honest, it is easier to ask someone to teach you how to pronounce their name, then to disregard their name completely. Please, in the name of God, pronounce my name right.