Helping You Make a Meaningful Mark on Today’s Youth
Social Emotional Learning | Character Education | Social Skills
Your job as an elementary teacher is important.I know because my mother taught second grade for over 36 years.
She worked all the time.I even remember going to the store for teachers to buy supplies.
A great deal falls on your shoulders.
Test scores, parent conferences, not to mention your own family.
That is why today, we would like to share tips on how to teach eye contact and empathy in your classroom.
Yes, the two lesson plans can be combined.
Here is how to teach both eye contact and empathy in your classroom.
I was working in the classroom with elementary teachers.One specifically asked for a lesson plan on saying “excuse me”.She went on to tell me that her students will say it and keep moving.She pointed out the importance of having the student make eye contact while saying “excuse me”.
I have been teaching it this way ever since.It was a teachable moment for me.
Whether you are saying “excuse me” because you need to interrupt or because you have stepped on a toe or need someone to move, it is so important to look in them in the eye…..make contact.Here is why:so the other person knows you mean it.Yes, it is that simple.It is a gesture that makes a difference.
Tip: Teacher to Teacher
Teaching eye contact and empathy at the same time is easy to set up as a role-playing activity. Eye contact and empathy are an every day gesture. It needs to be pointed out to your students when they do it….naturally during their daily activities and interaction with other students. You can also point this out when you make the gesture of eye contact and express empathy.
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.
We want to help you. It takes time to research. Our lesson plans are accurate, comprehensive, provide scripted dialogue and of course, include all the handouts needed. 21st Century Skills are on each lesson plan.
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.
Manners Curriculum: Available for All Grade Levels
New York City Manners Class for Children: Join, Manners To Go and everafter, a children’s clothing boutique on Madison Avenue for a special holiday event. Let me, the founder of Manners To Go, teach your child everything they need to know about good manners, confidence and life skills. The children will learn:
Eye Contact
Handshakes
Introductions
Conversation Skills
How to Hold a Fork Correctly (American and European Style)
How to Set the Table
And of Course, Much More
We promise the children will have so much fun they will not even realize they are learning everything about having good manners. Your children will leave more polite and of course polished. Parents can observe while sipping a latte or hot tea.
everafter on Madison: New York City Manners Class for Children
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, December 1, 2018
Time: 9:30am-11:00am
Address: 1121 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10021
Sign-up is first come first serve. Session is 90 minutes and includes breakfast, activity book and materials $80 to participate.
everAfter on Madison is a beautiful clothing boutique for children. The boutique is a one-stop shop to find the best designers, handpicked outfits from head to toe, and cool stuff, all for your kids, all in one shop.
About Lisa Richey, Founder of Manners To Go
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.
We were so impressed with all facets of Lisa’s program … not only the content and information that she shared with our children, but most importantly her approach. She made all of the instruction relatable to their ages and provided demonstrations of how these manners translate into every day situations for them in their world. Our children have really enjoyed teaching us what they have learned and they feel so grown-up to know the proper way to conduct themselves in a variety of different situations. We look forward to future “refresher” sessions with Lisa! I’m happy to give any type of referral that you might need – we just loved your program! ~ Kristen, Wayne, Pa
My friends and I thought Lisa did an incredibly good job with our group of 8 boys and girls ranging in age from 8 to 11. After the two sessions, they had a far better understanding of the importance of social interactions, eye contact, handshakes and ways to interface with adults. The session on table manners was very helpful and I have already noticed a major change at home. We would like to continue to have these important life skills front of mind for the children so will likely turn to Lisa again for some refreshers courses but this was a great first step! ~ Jennie, Wayne, Pa
Lisa had an approachable, practical way of guiding my daughters through the value of etiquette and a demonstration of proper manners. It was very effective and enjoyable for everyone. My daughters were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to integrate her tips and instruction into daily life. ~ Laura, Blue Bell, Pa
Life Skills | Manners | Character Education | Social Emotional Learning
10 Tips to Teach Manners in Your Classroom:
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.
Handshakes
What a great way to start the day. Greet your students every morning or end the day with a handshake
Introductions
The best way to teach about 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.
Teach Manners in Your Classroom Less Testing More Social Skills: The Ohio Department of Education announced their focus will be on teaching social skills. A link to the article is below. The states new five year plan is called “Each Child Our Focus”, which promotes the “whole child”. Ohio’s schools serve over 1.7 million students and the focus on social skills will be from K-12.
Ohio’s goal for implementing this plan is to improve the number of students that go to college or some other type of training to achieve job success.
Ohio’s superintendent comments on how we live in a constantly changing job environment and who knows what the future job market will be. She feels we need to at least prepare students to cope with important life skills.
Are You Teaching Manners and Social Skills in Your Classroom?
As a teacher, you know how important social skills are for a student’s success. Children who are polite and well spoken, find it easier to get along with their others 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.
It is easy to point fingers and pass it off that manners should be taught at home. Yet too many children are not being taught proper manners or other valuable social skills at home. Which means it is up to us as educators, teachers, guidance counselors or principals to equip students with these important life tools – and help them grow up to be responsible, caring, successful global citizens.
Our manners curriculum is available to use in your classroom. The lesson plans are easy to use and may be customized to fit into your timeframe. Teachers use this in 10 minute segments or some devote an entire semester. Of course, there are enough modules for an extended after school program. Role- playing actives are included. In fact, that is what we are known for….our curriculum is modern and relevant. Children and teens love attending a Manners To Go program.
Ideas and Lesson Plans To Teach Manners in Your Classroom
Ideas and lesson plans to teach manners in your classroom: Self-confidence can be a learned social skill and it starts with awareness. At Manners To Go, time and time again we receive phone calls from teachers and parents asking for help with shyness and low self-esteem issues with their students . We want our children and teenagers to move through life with ease, boundless opportunities, good friends, and adventure.
Eye contact is the basis of a self-confident child. There are many things you can do to assure a child has endless amounts of self-confidence. Let’s start with eye contact. Here is how you can incorporate this in your classroom or after school program.
When you have the time, be fully present with your student. What a gift it is when you give a child (or anyone) your undivided attention.
Make eye contact. Explain eye contact and how to make it.This sounds so simple, but it works. Look at your student and point out what you are doing and why. Of all the topics and modules in our curriculum, teaching eye contact is the most gratifying experience because you can see a child light up and understand what it feels like to be confident. The child gets it….immediately. As a teacher, you see a marked difference by the end of class. Parents also notice the change. I remember the first time a parent called our office to let us know that their child’s teacher mentioned the change in the student. The teacher asked what the parent was doing. Of course, the parent said they were intentionally teaching eye contact. It works! We promise.
Over the years we have noticed when you bring awareness to what confidence is and how it feels inside to have eye contact, the child makes a radical change, instantaneously. Remember, your students are watching you.
Our curriculum is available to use in your classroom. The lesson plans are easy to use and may be customized to fit into your timeframe. Teachers use this in 10 minute segments or some devote an entire semester. Of course, there are enough modules for an extended after school program. Role- playing actives are included. In fact, that is what we are known for….our curriculum is modern and relevant. Children and teens love attending a Manners To Go program.
How to Teach Kids to Stand Up for Themselves: She Knows is an online resources which provides us with resources about parenting and relationships. Recently, we were contacted by a contributing writer about our thoughts on helping parents to guide their kids on how to stand up for themselves.
At Manners To Go, we are big believers in teaching children to have opinions, to think for themselves and stand up for their beliefs. As adults, we understand that when we express our opinions or stand up for ourselves, it is all in the delivery. Our children need to be taught this behavior…to respect others in the midst of standing up for their beliefs.
Of course, the family meal is a prime opportunity for these discussions and teachable moments. We always encourage the family meal as a time to teach your child how to hold your fork correctly but also a time to learn conversation skills and your values. The kitchen table is a safe space to practice. Asking questions such as “what do you think” or “why is this important to you” helps them to define their beliefs and options.
Teach Children How to Express Themselves Without Being Rude
Respect: During these teachable moments and conversations on popular topics at hand, have the discussion about delivery…in a respectful manner. Teach them to take a deep breath before responding, make eye contact, respectful body language and most importantly, watch their tone of voice. Teach your child that it’s OK to have an opinion as long as you are delivering your message in a clear, direct way.
As our children live in the ever expanding social media world, now more than ever they need to see you and experience you modeling respect behavior in everyday life.
Step in When Necessary: If you see that your child is becoming angry and your grandmother is becoming uncomfortable, step in and intervene. You can assist them by saying “this is what I think you’re trying to say”. Next, show them how to say it in a tone that shows respect and is polite. Don’t embarrass your child in the situation but you do want to calm them down. If the adults are strangers or acquaintances, you can wait until later to handle it.
When addressing the situation, emphasize that you want them to have an opinion, but how they express their opinion is important.
Apologizing: If your child’s behavior is out of line, meaning if they are yelling and being impolite, then an apology is necessary. When your child is stating an opinion that might differ from those involved in the conversation, then an apology is not always necessary.
How do you teach you children how to stand up for themselves? We would love for you to share your tips.
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.
Lisa Richey provides etiquette programs to businesses, schools, and individuals.