I remember working at my mother's coffee shop a few years back, and having a really busy day. Many of the customers were rude and really annoying, but there were those few that were really polite and even called me by my name. Not "Miss" or "young lady". I remember when they would do this, I would sometimes give them an extra cookie or a coupon. My point is, Mr.Clark taught his students this simple rule. ".. When I introduce you to people, make sure you remember their names.." (Pg 105) He talks about Mrs. Clinton and how she made the effort to remember his students names. This is also something I would like to incorporate in my classroom. "We role play situations like that quite a bit to give the students adequate practice." (Pg 107) Practice makes perfect, I would have to teach the students to follow this rule and I love he idea of role playing, it's a fun way to learn. Another rule that I liked is "If you approach a door and someone is following you, hold the door." (Pg 111) this reminds me of a movie I once watched, "Take The Lead", it was about this teacher that was teaching some rebellious students how to dance tango and in the process would teach them good manners. In one of the scenes, he taught one of his students to open a door for a lady, or for anyone for that matter, and the student said "why, if she can open the door herself" and the teacher told him that the ladies would fall for him if he did so. Then the student began opening doors for everybody. I've grown up with this rule my whole life. I do it without thinking, no hesitation. I always find it rude when someone doesn't hold the door for me and let's it slam on my face. This is also definitely something I'd like to teach my students. "..it is a lot easier to tell them what you expect from them before you are on a trip than to wait until you have arrived at your destination."(pg 114) I truly believe in those words. Most students will follow what is expected of them, but if they don't know what you want them to do, it is very unlikely they'll perform as expected. Many teachers think it's logical, but I think it's important or almost vital to let them know what to do and what not to do. "Sometimes respect for others may not seem like it is going to have an impact, especially when you see no one around is taking manners into consideration. However, that is usually the time when such kind actions will be most appreciated and recognized by others." (Pg 115) I love the way he worded this. Last weekend we went on a field trip to Houston for some competitive events, and while we were there, we were taken to a buffet to eat. I've never really liked buffets, not because of the food, but because of how crowded and messy things can get. The time I was there, people were pushing and getting in everybody's way. These were college people! And even though the majority had a "me first" attitude, there were a few who were really respectful and considerate. Hey probably thought they went unnoticed, but oh my gosh, I was so glad the buffet wasn't all too bad. They were the exception, and I would also like my class to be the exception and make the time we spend anywhere on field trips or even during school, enjoyable and worthwhile in between all the craziness.
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