mind your manners

It was much to my delight when an article in Time for Kids gave tips to children on how to show their manners.

I read this in class with my students, but I thought these tips were also good for us adults to be reminded of as well.

This comes from Capricia Penavic Marshall who is an expert on manners:

• Know your manners. You give yourself an advantage when you know the appropriate way to act.
• Do not say thank you with an e-mail. People appreciate a hand written thank you note.
• Give others your full attention at the dinner table. Put the cell phone away, and engage in conversation.

I think the first one is an obvious one for adults and we usually do consider this when dealing with other people.

The second one is something I agree with, but I keeping coming across people who feel that writing thank you notes is very outdated. I don't write thank you notes for everything little thing, but I do write them from time to time to show my appreciation to someone. I do feel that writing thank you notes is very necessary for wedding, shower, and graduation gifts.

And I totally agree with the third one. I keep coming across people who are totally engrossed in text messaging and I tend to wonder why I am even hanging out with them in the first place since they obviously have something else occupying them. Bob and I were out at dinner one weekend and we saw a family sitting together and the three "children" all looked to be about in their twenties. All of them were texting on their cell phones and nobody at the table was talking to each other or to the parents.

Reading the article in the kids magazine was a nice fresh reminder that even the little things we do can speak volumes of how we value other people. Showing kindness and consideration does not take much effort and it makes everyone feel good.

you're so old

So old and so out of touch... at least that's what I have felt like recently with some of my students at school.

Last week I heard a girl mutter "you're a jerk". I immediately asked her what she was saying. She said she was singing a song. Instantly some of the other students sang along which was when I realized it was indeed a real song. I guess I have been living under a rock because a quick google search brought me to the song and the group who sings it, the new boyz. I told them I had never heard that song before. This of course was shocking to my students, how have I never heard this song before?



I told them I knew the song "cupid shuffle". Which was followed by scoffs. A girl told me, "Mrs. Kennedy (like come on...) everybody knows that!"

Then earlier this week they asked me if I liked Twilight. Which I told them yes, I 've read all the books. Then the girl follows up with "Robert Pattinson is mine!"

I reply with "who?". And she says, "Edward". Then I ask, "Why are you calling him Robert?"

Then she says, "because that's his name".



So, it took me a little too long to figure out she was referring to the actor who plays Edward in the movie. To me the Twilight series is just books, but to elementary students it is all about the movie and the actors. How silly of me.

I find both of these encounters rather humorous now. I just happened to feel incredibly old while they were happening. If I am so old and out of touch with these kids, I wonder what it is like for the other people in my building who are 12-30 years older than me?

everybody's got a laughing place

Laughing is a very natural and healthy part of life. I feel that if you are not able to laugh at some things, then you might be taking life a little too seriously. Laughing helps me to be able to enjoy life. Why am I feeling the need to say this? Maybe because I laugh a lot. Maybe because my students tell me, "Mrs. Kennedy, you laugh a lot."

However, this week I've been a little pre-occupied with video taping for my national board project, and I just need a good laugh to help relieve some of the stress. If you would need a good laugh too check out the videos below. These make me laugh every time. Enjoy!

Single Lady Clown



Injured Bad