[polarpi]

When I was still planning on becoming an elementary teacher, I didn't want my students to be confused by my last name, because I do get kinda upset when people call me by just one of my last names (I'm a hyphenated lastname right now and probably will be when I get married, as well, but that's another story in itself). I asked my kids in the first class I was in (kindergartners) to call me Miss Jennie, which I have absolutely no problem with. My first graders and third graders both called me Miss Lastname, which was okay, but I could see that as they were older and had more experience with calling teachers by their full names (even though mine was still a mouthful for them!)

Personally, I prefer being called Miss, because I too do not like to be called "Miz (Ms)" Lastname, and on formal things (like invitations and Christmas cards[!]) I will use Miss for people around my age who aren't married, Ms for those who are divorced/widowed or an older unmarried woman, and Mr. & Mrs. Hisfirstname Hislastname for married couples. Otherwise, if I'm writing a friend, I usually just use the friend's first name and last name. Ma'am makes me feel old, and while I'm in my lower-midtwenties, I don't think I'm of the age where I need to be ma'amed, even though I do understand it's a term of respect. I'd rather be called Miss A-D or something to that effect by people I don't know and either Miss Jennie or just Jennie by those I'm friends with and their children.