Elizabeth and I connected by phone one evening as she had questions about our curriculum.The school purchased the Manners To Go lesson plans to teach first impressions, communications skills and table manners to her students.
The Hawbridge School in North Carolina where she has taught for many years has a dedicated life skills program.
Listen in, as we have an informative discussion about the benefits and the reasons why life skills are important.
Oh!And listen for her discussion about a “slow lunch” and why this is so meaningful for her students.In fact, they love it so much they ask for it frequently.
With the outbreak of COVID-19 we are all scrambling to find alternative ways to teach our students.
Online/Virtual classrooms are something we will be leveraging in the weeks and days ahead.
We need to adjust our mindset and roll with the punches for awhile.
You might be asking yourself, “how can I connect with my students or co-workers”?
When we get through this crisis, and of course we will, you still want to be professional, on track and ready for what is coming your way.
9 Tips to Be Professional and Polished on a Video Call
BECOME FAMILIAR: If you are new to a video call, familiarize yourself with how a video platform (Zoom, Go To Meeting, etc.) works.
2. STAY FOCUSED:This is a BIG one.Distractions at home are especially tempting.Do what it takes to stay involved in and fully present with those that are on the call.Put your phone away, close your door and stay off the internet.
3. BACKGROUND:Plan ahead and be mindful of your background.Is it professional?Is it tasteful?Will it distract others from the business at hand?
4. MUTE:Keep yourself muted until it is time for you to speak.
5. RECORDING:If you are the host and plan to record, make sure the attendees are aware.
6. DRESS:You personal brand still matters.Keep yourself professionally groomed and dressed.
7. BEHAVE:Act as if you are attending the meeting “live”.Do not act or speak in a way that is not in keeping with your normal professional behavior.
Isn’t it special when you see children out and about and they are carrying on, laughing and having fun with their friends?
As adults, sometimes we may look at them and think…wow, I wish I had all that energy!
You know first hand how it feels to be kind, gracious and outgoing in public places. It makes us feel good when we can cheerfully greet someone either by using good eye contact or shaking someone’s hand.
We understand what it feels like to make eye contact with someone and say “good morning”.
Children benefit from someone pointing these simple gestures out and explaining how and why these acts of kindness and confidence matters.
Practical Points to Teach Manners to Children
Eye Contact: This simple act makes a world of difference for so many children.Try this: if you have younger children (ages 3-6), kneel down to their level (yes, on your knees) and look them directly in the eye and speak to them.Watch children light up when you do this.Show them what it means to make good eye contact.
Ask them how it feels.Explain to them how others feel when they receive good eye contact. Others feel respected and heard.
Greetings:What a difference a day makes when someone greets you with a “good morning”.Teach children to say “hello” to those they run into during their time out and about.
Excuse Me:If you bump into someone, say “excuse me”.Make eye contact as you are saying it so the other person knows you are sincere.
Hold the Door Please:As you are exiting or entering a building, hold the door for the other person.Have you ever had a child do this for you?It is endearing and memorable.This gesture teaches respect and deference.
Gratitude: Expressing appreciation is the highest form of respect.There are so many ways to show gratitude.A very important step is to say “thank you” often during the day.
Was it memories of a warm bustling kitchen or conversations with belly laughs from cousins you had not seen in a while?
I bet you want your family to experience this time with those that are near and dear to you.
You have been on my mind and I am here to guide you to a pleasant holiday.
You want your child to have fun and be confident in all the social situations they experience.
That is why I am sharing these pointers and tips with you today.
Tips from Manners To Go on How To Prepare Your Child for Thanksgiving
Greetings: At Manners To Go, we are big on greetings.Make eye contact, say hello and smile.
Talk about what you do like:This goes for food and all the other popular topics.
When you don’t like something that is being passed: Aunt Sue serves her famous carrot salad with peas on top. Here is how to guide your child in this situation: tell them to keep passing it….do not give any details as to why they are passing, they can say “no thank you” but that is it.
If the meal is plated and handed to them, tell them to smile, say “thank you” and eat what they like.
Wait:Wait until the appropriate time to start eating.This depends on your table, host and if the meal is served as a buffet.
Napkin:When seated, have your child place the napkin in their lap.
Which way to pass:Pass to the right so that everyone is served.
Gratitude: Oh so important and of course, there are many teachable moments during this holiday. Have your child express appreciation to the host or family member as they are leaving or after the meal.
More on gratitude and writing thank you notes later.
Enjoy your holiday.
At Manners To Go, We Believe Every Child Deserves the Chance to Learn Good Manners
Teaching Manners and the History of AfterSchool Programs in America
Afterschool programs are an intricate part of our education system.
You will benefit and have a deeper understanding on the history of afterschool programs as you are watching this film.
I was glued and learned so much thanks to Temescal Associates and the How Kids Learn Foundation. A link to the hour long film is below in the Manners To Go Resource Guide.
After care programs for children date back to the late 1880’s. We brought families from our farm lands and other countries to work in our factories.
Settlement houses were started to meet the huge demand for child care.Immigration labor and women working created a need for child care.
Fast forward to today and we can no longer think of afterschool programs as a need to reduce crime or keep children off the streets. While after care does meet those needs it is so much more.
Afterschool programs offer our youth:
A chance to build skills
Explore their interests outside of the traditional classroom
Teaching manners and life skills in your classroom has never been easier. We guide you every step of the way. At Manners To Go, we help you implement a character building and social skills program into your classroom.,
Your job is to watch your students transform.
Have you downloaded your FREE Lesson Plan? We have one for each grade level.
You know the importance of teaching good manners, life skills and character in your classroom. We can no longer take the stand that life skills and manners should be taught at home. Yes, I agree, manners should be taught at home but in many cases, they are not.
Every child deserves to learn manners, don’t you think?
When you teach manners in your classroom,you take a massive stand and declare:
You value the well-being of your students
You want to make an impact on their social and emotional needs
You empower yourself by choosing a manners curriculum that allows you to customize a plan to teach manners and social skills
You are ready to transform your classroom and your students
Tips and Topics to Teach Good Manners in Your Classroom
Here are a few tips and topics to start teaching manners in your classroom. These tips can be used in any grade level.
Why Manners Matter: Start with the “why”. Have you downloaded our Free Lesson Plan? We provide a link by grade level below. You may use this in your classroom. This guides you on how to get started and provides you with the activities and handouts to get started.
Your goal is to teach and your students on “why” it is important to use good manners. You will have a discussion with your students to talk about kindness, how it feels on the inside when we use good manners, why it makes us feel confident, empathy, the action to take to make others feel comfortable and more.
Eye Contact: When you teach eye contact, you will see an immediate difference. Children need to told and shown in many cases. You will see their face light up when you teach eye contact. If you teach Preschool or Kindergarten, kneel down on your knees and actually look at them in the eye to show them what it looks like.
Eye contact shows others we are confident, are listening and we care.
Handshakes: Have you considered starting your day with a handshake and greeting each student with a handshake in the morning? Doing this provides so many teachable moments. You can teach eye contact, handshakes and conversation skills within a few seconds for each student.
Would you like to teach manners in your classroom? We guide you every step of the way. It is easy. All the work is done for you.
Now is the time to start. We offer an affordable curriculum and if you purchase before September 30, 2019, you can use a COUPON CODE for a discount. The COUPON CODE IS MTG10.
Here are your next steps:
Choose your grade level: We offer all grade levels:
Choose your package: We offer the following lesson plans and bundle options for each grade level:
First Impressions
Communication Skills
Table Manners
Bundle of all three
Download, Teach and Transform:Our curriculum is downloadable. Once the order is processed, you can begin teaching. Our manners lesson plans are easy to customize. You may teach for an entire semester, 10 minutes a week or focus on the modules for an entire month.
Our curriculum is used for after school programs too.
Lisa Richey provides etiquette programs to businesses, schools, and individuals.