Teaching Students Manners, Gratitude and Etiquette
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
The importance of manners, gratitude, and etiquette in school or work means real success or abject failure. My father taught me the importance of manners through his disciplined caring approach. Manners he explained are in short being humble and selfless, they show family, teachers, friends, and strangers that you care and respect them. Putting others first is not a concept some students or even parents will understand or take to heart but over time they see the true gift of manners. Teaching students and sometimes parents the golden rule is more important today than it has ever been in our history. "One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself" Being polite, being friendly, being grateful, being selfless, being responsible, and being a disciplined student are keys to a harmonious classroom.
I use a reward and common sense consequences model to bring balance and some semblance of harmony in the first weeks and months of school. Many students and parents chafe under the rules and discipline at first, but when you have 34 strangers/students you need to get everyone on the same page. Even simple rules like raise your hand or listen quietly while the teacher is giving directions is nigh impossible for some at the beginning of the year. All students are given a weekly behavior log that tracks good behavior and areas that need work. We also practice NASCAR transitions and just like NASCAR they are practiced to 100% compliance. Most classroom transitions can be done in under 30 seconds. Whole Brain Teaching is one of the best models for building a classroom community.
Consequence
Logical Consequence
Removal from the group or “time out in the responsibility room”
“When you play and act silly with your partner it distracts me from teaching and others from learning. Would you like to stay with your partner or go to the responsibility room where it is quiet? It’s your decision.”
Stay in for recess
“This is the time I have scheduled to do reading and writing. It is very important that you read so you can learn as much as you can. Recess is the scheduled time to play and talk to your friends. If you talk and play now, the only other time to finish reading is at recess. It’s your decision.”
Students Advice: Bill Gates on Real Life
Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about
11 things they did not and will not learn in school . He
talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings
created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and
how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The
world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you
feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high
school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone
until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get
a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping:
they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't
whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as
boring as they are now. They got that way from paying
your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk
about how cool you thought you were. So before you save
the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's
generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and
losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have
abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY
TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't
bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get
summers off and very few employers are interested in
helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people
actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up
working for one.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
The importance of manners, gratitude, and etiquette in school or work means real success or abject failure. My father taught me the importance of manners through his disciplined caring approach. Manners he explained are in short being humble and selfless, they show family, teachers, friends, and strangers that you care and respect them. Putting others first is not a concept some students or even parents will understand or take to heart but over time they see the true gift of manners. Teaching students and sometimes parents the golden rule is more important today than it has ever been in our history. "One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself" Being polite, being friendly, being grateful, being selfless, being responsible, and being a disciplined student are keys to a harmonious classroom.
Classroom Expectations:
1. Be polite and well-mannered at all times.
2. Listen vigilantly to the teacher at all times.
3. Be responsible and focused at all times.
4. Be ready to learn and use class time wisely.
5. Be Grateful
1. Be polite and well-mannered at all times.
2. Listen vigilantly to the teacher at all times.
3. Be responsible and focused at all times.
4. Be ready to learn and use class time wisely.
5. Be Grateful
Excerpts From Behavior Log:
MONDAY – HOME CONNECTION
Date:_______Name:___________________________
Areas to commend: Earn Extra Stars
- exceptional work ethic
- superb manners
- great class leader and helper
- amazing role model
- academic excellence
Areas of Concern: Lose Stars
- incomplete or missing classwork/homework
- staying on task/not paying attention
- choosing not to work
- unkind or mean to others
- disrespectful or rude
- interrupting the teacher
- bad attitude
- showing off/disrupting others
- talking out in class
- not following directions
Areas to Work On: Earn Knowledge
- neatness and/or organization
- multiplication facts
- division facts
- vocabulary knowledge
- writing and sentence fluency
Parent’s signature
LUNES – TAREA DE ESTA NOCHE
Fecha:_____Nombre:___________________________
Áreas para elogiar: Gana estrella extras
Áreas de preocupación: Pierde estrellas
Áreas para esforzarse: Gana conocimiento
Firma de los padres______________________________
|
My RBC Student Success Skills Checklist! College Ready!
My Active Learning Skills!
- I put school first!
- I take advantage of learning opportunities.
- I ask questions with an open mind.
- I set high goals and work hard.
- I actively listen and focus on learning.
- I am organized and responsible.
- I build knowledge by risking failure.
- I strengthen my memory with practice.
My Active Social Skills!
- I put school first!
- I am nice, kind, grateful, and caring.
- I solve problems and cooperate with others.
- I am positive and encourage others and myself.
- I help others and help myself.
- I use please and thank you.
- I am empathetic and put others first.
- I find the good in all people.
My Success Goals This Year:
Classroom Behavioral Expectations:
1. Raise your hand and wait silently for assistance
2. Ignore the inappropriate behavior of others (mind your own business)
3. Stay focused and on task (active listening)
4. Make positive comments (about school self and others)
5. Participating appropriately in class activities (manners, polite, quiet, responsible)
6. Remain in own personal area
7. Work without distracting others (be a good partner)
8. Follow directions (active listening)
9. Complete assignments
Positive Behavior: Earn Stars and Privileges
Negative Behavior: Lose Stars and Privileges
Example of Logical Consequences in Mr. Taylor’s Classroom!
Consequence
Logical Consequence
Removal from the group or “time out in the responsibility room”
“When you play and act silly with your partner it distracts me from teaching and others from learning. Would you like to stay with your partner or go to the responsibility room where it is quiet? It’s your decision.”
Stay in for recess
“This is the time I have scheduled to do reading and writing. It is very important that you read so you can learn as much as you can. Recess is the scheduled time to play and talk to your friends. If you talk and play now, the only other time to finish reading is at recess. It’s your decision.”
Parent signature ______________________________________
Student signature ______________________________________
Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about
11 things they did not and will not learn in school . He
talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings
created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and
how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The
world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you
feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high
school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone
until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get
a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping:
they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't
whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as
boring as they are now. They got that way from paying
your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk
about how cool you thought you were. So before you save
the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's
generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and
losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have
abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY
TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't
bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get
summers off and very few employers are interested in
helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people
actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up
working for one.
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