My parents named me after a character of a show they were
watching at the time. It does not have a ethnic origin. My aunts/uncles were
all named started with the first letter “K”, so my mother followed that same
logic and named both my brother and I with a “K”. I was more raised to be proud
of my last name. My dad always told me to wear my last name proud, and to think
with each and every action “Would an O’Donaghy do that?”. I think it took a lot
for me to get used to this idea and when he would say this phrase to me.
Sometimes I would be upset and angry, and he would respond with “Would an
O’Donaghy act like that?”. Even now as a
married woman, I still have my given last name because I feel a sense of
ownership of it, and that it gives me a sense of grounded.
I would assume that others just view my name as another
name. I know my students view my name as an added challenge as they struggle to
both say and spell my last name. They end up calling me “Ms O”, or some other
version of O’Donaghy. I think that many of my students have a sense of
ownership of their names as well. Unfortunately many of my students with their
names originating from other countries do not directly show ownership of their
names, and are quick to allow teachers to mispronounce their names. Personally
this bothers me, and I always am sure to try my best to say their names as they
want to be said.
I think many students might not feel a deep sense of
belonging to school, which can affect attendance, motivation, desire to do
well. We want students to feel as though they belong to our school community,
but a school filled with people who do not know them, understand them, or even
try to say their name correctly can greatly affect them.
