Bribery with grades! Awesome!

#15: In college, I had a teacher who put this as the first question on the first two tests: "What is the name of your professor for this class?"

A lot of people find that very disrespectful. A teacher isn't supposed to be your buddy. A simple 'miss' or 'mister' isn't so bad since you acknowledge their position as your teacher.

At my school, we never called our teachers Mr. or Mrs./Ms.

At my school, we get detention for disrespect if we call a teacher anything but Mr/Ms/Mrs. (insert full last name) It just depends where you go.

I had a teacher who actually quit because of the nickname we gave her. It was hilarious. All she ever heard was "Dowski help!" and she couldn't make us stop. I've nicknamed dozens of teachers and none of them have cared aside from her.

Tradition, sense of belonging to the family, sense of spousal bonding, etc. But usually they just do it because it's tradition. Women used to be considered property of their husband once they were wed, which is why they changed the surname to match. It's becoming less and less common to do so. It certainly makes divorce a pain when you've taken his name. I still receive stuff with my old married name on it. OP, surely eventually the kids will learn your "new" name. If not, the kids next year will know! Maybe they can just call you by the first letter, as someone else suggested. Then you can be the 'cool' teacher for doing it. Either way, it will get easier, day by day.

It's also becoming less common to do so for professional reasons, for example: The majority of university students (in the US at least) are women. Women who pursue academic careers (professors / researchers) will be writing many articles for scientific / historical / literary journals. If it can be avoided, you don't want to change your name after you've been published. Keeping the same name makes it easier for other researchers to find your full body of work.

Oh I don't know, tradition maybe? *-*

Just because it's traditional doesn't mean it's not stupid. See bullfighting, for example.

Because it makes sense. You start a new family with someone, you want to have the same name. Imagine having a family with a bunch of last names. Frank Johnson and his wife Mary Franklin, their son Tyler Johnson their daughter Susan Franklin, her husband Joe Parker, their child Anna Franklin, their other child Thomas Parker, who's married to Elizabeth Miller. See what I mean? With the same last name, you'll have Frank, Mary and Tyler Johnson. Before Susan married, she was also a Johnson. It makes sense to share your last name with your spouse.

Just because all FMLs have to start with "today" doesn't mean they happened today. Also, if it's a teacher (in elementary school, I'd assume) who "graduates" with her class, that could explain it. Or if she has older students, she might just teach multiple classes and have students who had her the previous year.