Why I Ask My Students to Call Me Brendan (and What It Teaches Them)

When I go into schools as an artist in residence or a guest drama coach, the students almost always call me Mr Glanville. Fair enough, it's often the first time they've met me.

Teachers usually ask beforehand what I'd like to be called. My answer is always the same: 'Brendan is fine.'

Sometimes that surprises them. Occasionally a teacher looks a little uncertain. Isn't that disrespectful?

I understand the instinct. But I want to explain why this matters so much to me.

A title is a barrier

When a student calls me Mr Glanville, they are relating to a title.

They don't know Mr Glanville. That name is a mask. A role. A performance of authority.

If they don't know me, how can any respect they show be genuine?

I would rather be greeted with an authentic 'Hey Brendan' than a polished 'Good morning Mr Glanville' that means nothing.

Because authenticity is the foundation of real connection. And real connection is the foundation of real learning.

What it actually teaches them

When students call me by my first name, something subtle shifts.

They have to relate to me as a person, not a position. And I have to relate to them the same way.

This creates an environment where the learning goes deeper. Where students trust that I mean what I say. Where they are willing to take risks because they know the room is real.

It also teaches them something about respect that I think is genuinely important.

Real respect is earned. It is built through relationship, honesty and consistency. It is not owed because of a title.

Authenticity in the age of AI

I think about this more and more as the world changes.

We live in a time when AI can produce polished content on demand. When algorithms shape what we see and how we present ourselves. When it is easier than ever to be a performance rather than a person.

The cost of that, especially for young people, is enormous.

When you become too attached to a persona, you lose track of who you actually are underneath it.

And when you don't know who you are, you become easy to manipulate. You start believing other people's versions of you.

That is a trap, and it is the opposite of confidence.

The most radical thing we can do

Teaching young people to be genuinely themselves might be the most radical and countercultural thing we can do right now.

I mean actually being themselves, rather than performing confidence, faking connection, or hiding behind titles and carefully managed impressions.

Just showing up. Real. Present. Themselves.

At the Academy, every coach goes by their first name too. We are all creators in the room together, kids, teens and coaches alike. Our coaches simply carry more experience, and their role is to hold space so everyone else's experience can come through.

That's what we're building. And it starts with something as simple as: 'Call me Brendan.'

About the Author

Brendan Glanville is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Australian Acting Academy. For over 30 years he has helped more than 100,000 young people build confidence, courage and authentic connection through acting, storytelling and creative risk-taking. He writes about parenting, resilience, creativity and what it means to raise brave humans in a complicated world. Learn more at actingacademy.com.au.