How do you teach your students to have a conversation? Isn’t it special to have someone be fully present with you? To have a conversation with anyone, an adult or a child is something to behold these days…a conversation without distraction.
My most popular topic when teaching business etiquette in the workplace is The Art of the Human Connection. The art of having a conversation, is a lost “art”. We are so consumed with social media that often we are so buried in it we miss out on so many opportunities. Often, it is the first request I have from a human resource director to discuss the basic skills of conversation to their team.
Take the time to teach your students how to converse! Life is fuller when you have this life skill. You actually become interesting. A children and teens learn so much about life when they hear others conversing.
Eye contact: This is a social skill that is so very important. By making eye contact, it shows someone that you are interested. It sends a message that you are confident. Point this out to your students. Explain why this is important. Take the opportunity to talk about confidence and how it feels. If your students are six or younger, get on their level. Literally! Get down on your knees if necessary and make eye contact with them.
Teach them to listen to others: Another important social skill is to listen. Tell them it is alright for there to be silence when having a conversation. This is the time to practice sharing-sharing the space to tell ideas and experiences.
Ask questions: By asking questions, you show others that you are interested in their experiences. Ask a student questions. Explain to them that you are having a conversation.
Phone skills: The Wall Street Journal had an article about answering the phone. Remember when we were growing up and we took messages for our parents? With smart phones, this most likely is not happening. This was a great way to teach conversation skills. It is still important for children to know how to answer a phone and converse.
Read a story. After reading a story, talk about it with your students. Did they like the story? What was their favorite part?
Would you like your children or students to have better manners in public?
Have you ever gone to the movies and someone near you kept talking during the film? How about the annoyance of having someone kicking your seat from behind on an airplane?
1.Say “good morning” or “thank you”. Greetings are always nice to give and receive. Teach your students or children to make eye contact and say “hello” when meeting someone. When you are out and about during your daily activities, make it a practice to say “thank you” often. When someone holds the door or elevator for you, say ‘thank you”. As a parent or teacher you can show children what to to do by being the example. Remember, children are watching you. You can also point out why you expressed gratitude and how it feels to offer appreciation.
2. Excuse me: If you bump into someone, say “excuse me or I’m sorry”. Make eye contact so the other person know you are sincere.
3.Talk to your friends about the movie after its over, not during the film. When at the movies, throw away your snack containers as you leave the theater. Do not leave them behind. Don’t kick the chair in front of you.
4.Don’t cut in front of others while standing in line. Wait for your turn.
5.Don’t chew gum with your mouth open, and don’t make the popping noise. Only blow bubbles in private. Practicing proper etiquette in public places shows others that you are considerate. It also reinforces your own integrity for choosing to use the good manners you were taught.
6. When out for a day of shopping, put things back the way they were found. Refold the t-shirt you picked up. If you drop a pair of jeans, refold them and put the item back where you found it.
Children learn from the actions of others. Make it common practice in your home or classroom to show consideration for each family member, so that when they’re in public, it will seem natural.
Life Skills | Manners | Character Education | Social Emotional Learning
10 Tips to Teach Manners in Your Classroom
Now more than ever, teaching manners in your classroom is critical. Children today are looking to learn more about building relationships and creating community.
At Manners To Go, we believe that all children deserve to learn the social skills that will help them grow up to become healthy, happy, successful adults. Here’s your chance to make it happen. We owe it our children to teach them good manners.
Eye Contact
It is amazing what happens when you bring this to a child’s attention. Eye contact is the basis for feeling and showing that you are confident.
Greetings
What a great way to start the day. Greet your students every morning or end the day with “good morning” or a “good bye”. Make eye contact and smile.
Introductions
The best way to teach introductions is to organize a role-playing activity for your students. They can pretend they have never met each other. Teach them to say “hello, my name is”.
Posture
Sit up straight. Stand up straight. Having good posture shows that you are confident and interested.
How to Hold a Fork
Holding a fork correctly is important and shows that we have good table manners.
Napkin in Your Lap
Teach your students to put the napkin in the their lap during recess or lunch.
Conversation Skills
Do your students know how to start or carry on a conversation with each other or with someone they don’t know?
Be Fully Present | Put Down the Phone or Device
Isn’t it a beautiful gift when someone pays attention to what you are saying and shows they are interested?
Deference | Respect
Allowing someone to go first or opening the door. This is deference. This is respect. Model this in your classroom.
Greetings
Say good morning or good bye to your students or co-workers
Teach Manners in Your Classroom
Good Manners Set the Stage for Future Success
As an educator, you know how important social skills are for a child’s success. Children who are polite, well spoken, and attentive to others find it easier to get along with their peers and make a positive impression on the adults in their lives. As a result, more opportunities come their way, laying the foundation for future success in life.
Yet too many children are not being taught proper manners or other valuable social skills at home. Which means it’s up to us as educators to equip them with these important life tools – and help them grow up to be responsible, caring, successful global citizens.
Now you can help students improve their behavior in as little as 10 minutes a day… a week… or month.
Most likely we already share something in common. We believe that teaching children manners, character and social emotional skills are very important.
Manners To Go™ is a full-service company for those choosing to teach manners to children. You can make a difference. All children and teenagers deserve to feel what it is like to be confident, and use good manners out in the world.
Manners To Go™ is taught in public, private and charter schools around the world. The New York Times, Parents Magazine and Fox News have all featured Manners To Go and the many benefits of teaching social skills to children.
Whether you are an educator who wants to teach it in the classroom or someone who is looking to become trained and certified, we provide all the solutions.
My name is Lisa Richey, and I am the founder of Manners To Go™ . This brand has given me the honor of teaching manners to thousands of people around the world. The journey has taken me from Portland, Oregon to the Middle East. I believe that manners are not about judgment or rules. Manners are about self-interest. It really is about how using good manners makes you feel on the inside.
A new book, Modern Manners for Moms and Dads: Practical Parenting Solutions for Sticky Social Situations is being released this week. This is a must read for parents and teachers.
I am thrilled I had the chance to interview them yesterday. They are smart and savvy moms that share real-life experiences in their new book.
This is not your grandmother’s parenting book. Their book deals with issues on guiding young children in today’s hectic and ever-changing world.
From birthday parties to how to ask children if it is ok to post their pictures on your social media, all the questions you ponder as a parent or teacher are answered.
And some of their answers may surprise you.
Take time to make a latte or a cup of tea and enjoy as I interview them about all things sticky when out and about in your daily life with young children.
Yes, we get a bit nerdy about social skills but I promise you will learn so much that you can share with children, spouses and other teachers.
Lisa Richey provides etiquette programs to businesses, schools, and individuals.
