Misgendered - Writing Contest

Instructions

"Alright class, settle down!" I called over the din. A few faces stopped their talking - or had never started - and looked up at me, though the majority kept talking. So this was how this sub job was going to go. Fine. Have it your way. "I'd rather not give most of the class lunch detention on my first day as your sub, but I will do so if you do not get quiet this instant!" I yelled. The class got quiet real quick. They clearly were not used to a sub being this firm. "Alright. Now that you've learned human decency I can teach you what Mrs. Baker wants me to teach." I crossed over to the chalkboard and wrote my name down on the board. "My name is Mx. Hill. I will be your long-term sub for Mrs. Baker while she is on maternity leave. Now, I'm going to go around the class and we're all going to say our name and pronouns. I'll finish first: I'm Mx. Hill and I use they/them." That was three weeks ago. Since then, the kids have warmed up to me and gotten better about shutting up when I ask, but I have yet to see one of them get my name or pronouns right first try. I haven't erased the chalkboard and my name is still there, and recently I added "they/them" beneath it, but it hasn't worked. "Ms. Hill, can I get a pencil, please?" "Mrs. Hill, can I go to the bathroom?" "Have you met Mr. Hill? He's really nice." "But watch out - he's really strict, too." "Hey, Mx. Hill, I have a question." Wait - that one wasn't in my head, that was real. I looked up and met the eyes of the new kid. They smiled. "Oh, yes, what is it..." I glanced down at the attendance sheet. "Zachariah?" "I prefer Zach, Mx. Hill. And I don't quite get what we're supposed to do for this..." Zach held up their computer and showed me the bit they had a question about. I smiled and helped them. A few minutes later, with about ten minutes left in class, Zach came over to my desk again. "Hey, Mx. Hill, I finished." I smiled. "That's great, Zach! Feel free to do whatever you like." "Can I talk to you, Mx. Hill?" I blinked. I have to admit I wasn't expecting them to want to talk to me. After all, they're a student with now only seven minutes till their next period and I'm a teacher. But they're the first kid to properly gender me... "Sure, if you want, Zach." They sat down and crossed their legs. "What're you doing, Mx. Hill?" "I'm just grading papers, Zach." We sat in silence for a second or two, then I asked, "What are your preferred pronouns, Zach?" "He/they, Mx. Hill. I saw yours are they/them. I'm a demiboy and biromantic demisexual. How about you?" I smiled, whilst writing a critic on a kid's essay. "I'm non-binary and fictioromantic autosexual." Zach nodded. "That's cool. Do you like being a teacher, Mx. Hill?" I was silent for a minute whilst still grading essays, but gave him as honest of an answer as I could. "Most days, Zach, it's the best job I could dream of." The bell rang and Zach ran over to his desk to get their stuff together. "Mx. Hill, could I get a lunch pass? This room seems more fun than the cafeteria." I smiled and nodded, pulling out my sheet of passes and writing him one. "Have fun in your next class, Zach." He took the pass and grinned. "Thanks!" "Hey, why were you talking to her?" I overheard one of the kids ask them on the way out. "Them," he corrected. "Learn to read. And because they're more interesting than you all." I smiled to myself and prepared for the next class.