Miss!

Arab students are famous for calling their female teachers, "Miss". At times it can get very annoying.

"Miss!"
"What's my name?"
"Mrs. Lonheim."
"What can I do for you?"
"Miss, …"

It happens all day long, every day. I have been experiencing it since 2005. You might think that by now I would just give up. Yesterday's Social Studies lesson put a new twist on it.

We are brushing up on map skills, right now focusing on absolute location - latitude and longitude. To practice their ability to read coordinates they were playing Battleship in partners.

"Miss!"

I turn, but no one is looking at me.

A few moments later I hear it again.

"Miss!"

And then I clue in. "Miss" rather than "hit" as they respond to their partner's strategic calls in Battleship.