Home School Classroom Discipline: Five Principles for an Effective Home School

By William J. Brown

OK, so how important is classroom discipline for your home school? Perhaps you haven't really considered this question. It's definitely something to think about.

You see, we're talking about your children here. This isn't just some academic question...it's a question of whether or not you want the best for your kids.

I taught academic subjects for students in elementary through high school, and you know what I've discovered? The best classrooms are well managed, well disciplined classrooms. There's just no substitute for discipline in education. It's the oil that makes the machine move smoothly.

And there's always more potential for disciplined efficiency in a home school classroom. You know your child better than anyone. You know what motivates and what doesn't. Yes, there truly is great potential for discipline in a home school.

Unfortunately, there's also more potential to make do with mediocrity. Don't let that happen to you!

So...to answer our question, classroom discipline is very important. It's the difference between an adequate education and a great education. And you want the best for your children...right?

If you're wondering why you should listen to me about home schooling, I do know a little about it. My parents home schooled me for five years including junior high and high school...not exactly an easy assignment, I can tell you.

I guess you could say I have a unique perspective on this subject not just as an educator but also as a home school student. And I'd like to share a little of my experience with you.

So lets take a look at the issue of classroom discipline and see if we can make your home school as efficient and effective as we can. Here are five principles to "oil" your "machine" and make your classroom the best it can be.

1. Lay Down the Law!

Who would you rather be?...

A parent with no workable plan for discipline...screaming and yelling all day at her kids who don't seem to mind getting yelled at in the first place and just do what they want to do

...or...

A parent who is alway on top of it, has a plan written down and communicated adequately to her children...who know and respect that plan and follow it day in and day out. So...

So...who would you rather be?

I think we would all agree that the second example pictures success more than the first. So what's the difference? Other than the obvious difference in results, the difference is very simple...

The second parent had a plan. And she communicated that plan clearly to her children.

That's success for a classroom. That's classroom discipline at its best.

You have to have a clear plan written down in black and white. Then you must communicate that plan to your children. They need to know...

When the school day begins and ends.

What the classroom rules are.

What goals must be accomplished for that day.

What kinds of breaks are acceptable and when.

Let's take each of these one at a time...

I can't emphasize more how important sticking to a schedule is. If you get this part of classroom discipline wrong, you'll find yourself in the middle of a mind-blowing madhouse rather than a calm, cool and collected classroom. A good schedule includes when you begin class and when you end it. An ending time may not seem important. But it adds structure to your child's life by giving a clear "cutoff" for getting work done. Anything after this cutoff time is "homework."

Rules must be established and enforced as well. Be strict with these at first. Then loosen up later when a pattern of acceptable behavior has been established. This alone can make a big difference in your home school classroom.

Your child's goals should be clear and reachable. It's probably best to place some kind of goal chart in front of your child. You won't believe how excited your daughter will be when she has crossed off all the goals on her chart. She'll feel she's accomplished something!

Breaks are another matter. Don't forget to take them! Some "overachieving" parents tend to push their child's attention span to the limits. For all you overachievers...let me ask you a question...

How would you like it if your boss took away all your breaks at work?

That's what I thought!

Children need breaks too. Make sure you take them often and on time. Breaks should be part of your daily schedule. And make sure to vary them in length. Your lunch break should be longer than your other "water breaks." "Play breaks" should be thrown in at least once a day.

If your kids know what to expect for any given day, your life will be, oh, so much easier!

2. Be Consistent.

Once you have your plan written down, communicated and kicked into action...

STICK TO IT! (Excuse me for yelling.)

Be consistent in how you implement your schedule. This is one of the most important parts of classroom discipline

But consistency extends to more than just your written plan. It also comes into play in the academics of a classroom.

We mentioned using a goal card in the last section. If you use this idea, remember to do it every day. It only works if you do it consistently.

Consistency also extends to rules. Every home school parent should be careful to enforce rules. But those who teach more than one child at a time need to be even more careful. Make sure the rules and their correlating punishments are justly enforced. Don't favor one child over another. That's recipe for disaster. Be consistent with your rules!

Be consistent with where you home school as well. Make sure you have a designated place for your children to learn. This "learning center" should be the main hub of your educational day. Not that you can't take your children outside or to other locations to learn. But the bulk of your academic work should be accomplished in the "learning center."

The key here is be consistent in your classroom discipline! In what ever you do...be consistent. Classroom discipline depends heavily upon sticking to what you've come up with in your plan. More about this in our last point.

3. Always Consider Individuality.

Consistency is important in classroom discipline. But consistency does have its limitations. Where the realm of consistency ends, personal individuality begins.

What do I mean by personal individuality?

There are certain unchanging rules in education. Teaching facts, making application and careful student testing are just a few. But keep this in mind...

Every child learns in different ways. You must work with your child's learning strengths.

What do I mean by learning strengths?

Some children can only learn with a hands on approach. These types many times become inventors, mechanics and carpenters. They don't normally come across as "intelligent" as students. But they are. Many times they're more intelligent then the average person...just in different ways. So put things in concrete terms, and illustrate your point with things they can touch, feel and interact with.

Others learn in abstract ways. They're what most people would peg as "academic." These types learn more through challenging their thinking skills on an academic level. They like charts, flash cards and academic organization many times. So put things in academic terms for this type.

And there are other learning types as well. The point is...

Don't pigeonhole your child. Try to find your child's strengths and work them into the curriculum you choose. Your child will be much happier if you work with their individual strengths.

This is an important part of classroom discipline. Don't forget it!

4. Start Slowly.

As far as classroom discipline goes, this one's easy...but it's the most often missed. Many times home school parents who allow a "summer break" think their children can just jump into where they left off. After all...it was only a month or two...

Big mistake!

It does make a difference. Yes, it's true. They are children. They learn things much more readily than we adults do. But keep in mind...

They're miniature adults in many ways. They're still human. They have weaknesses just like we do. To expect them to recall everything they learned from two months ago with no refresher isn't realistic. Can you remember everything you did two months ago?

I can't even remember what I had for lunch today!

The fact is, children need time to "recall" what they stuffed into their brains two months ago. Give them a few days to refresh their memories. Take it slow at first. Help them remember in a fun way some of the key concepts from the last academic year. Maybe you could make a "trivia" game out of some of the last concepts they learned before summer and "test" their knowledge. Whatever you do, make it fun the first couple days.

You'll want to ease them into the year. The rest of school will go much more smoothly and if you do. Classroom discipline depends on it!

5. Stick to It...And Finish Strong!

If the last section was the easiest part of classroom discipline...this is the hardest. Stick to your plan.

Be consistent in everything you do. And be consistent through the whole year. Once you get into the swing of the new school year, keep on going! Get a "rhythm" going and try to keep it.

That doesn't mean you can't take breaks. You'll want to stop for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Easter and other holidays that may be important to you. You may want to schedule field trips and extra-curricular activities as well. But there's one important word here...

PLAN!

If you're going to do these things, plan them into your schedule before the year begins. This will lead you to a much more consistent school year. And it makes your life a whole lot easier if you know what to expect.

Of course, life may throw you your share of difficulties. Those will come. You can't schedule everything. When that does happen, try to come up with a backup plan that will at least keep your child close to where he needs to be. Remember...

This is your child's education we're talking about here. Loosing a loved one or enduring some natural disaster may be difficult. But always keep your child's education well being in mind no matter what. You need to keep a consistent clip throughout the year and end on a strong consistent note.

The key is...

Be consistent...all the way to the end. Keep on keeping on. Stick to it. Because...

Your child deserves the best!

God bless!

My classroom rules are:

1. We will be on time and prepared for class each day.

2. We will show respect for ourselves and others through our words and actions.

3. We will follow directions the first time they are given.

4. We will keep our hands, feet and objects to ourselves.

5. We will do our best at all times!

Discipline - keeping the rules

Contents

What is discipline?

Discipline at home

Discipline at school

Discipline in the world outside

Following 'orders'

Self discipline

Dr Kate says

What is discipline?

Some people may think that discipline is about punishment. I asked kids what they thought and they came up with all these great ideas.

So, what is discipline?

"Learning the rules and keeping them."

"Looking after yourself and others."

"Doing the right thing."

"Being a good member of society."

"Learning the difference between right and wrong."

"Knowing that if you do something wrong there will be consequences (say con-see-kwen-ses) or punishments and you will deserve them."

"If you’re in the army or something it means following orders."

"Being in charge of yourself."

Together we decided that discipline is about learning and keeping the rules, to keep others and ourselves safe and happy.

There are rules to learn at home, at school and out in the world.

Discipline at home

Your home is the first and most important place in your life. It is also the most dangerous place where most accidents that happen to kids happen.So the first lot of rules are about your safety.

There are rules about:

safety in the kitchen

not touching hot things like the fire or the iron

not climbing on furniture

safety in the shed and the garden

safety in the car.

Your mum and dad care about your health so there are rules to learn like:

washing hands before eating food and after going to the toilet

tidying up your toys so that people don’t fall over them

covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze

washing all over every day.

There are lots of people in the world, so you need to learn how to get along with others. Some rules might be about:

sharing

doing chores

looking after your room and your things

not fighting

how to speak nicely to others

good manners - saying please and thank you

looking after your things and showing respect for other people’s things.

Learning the rules can also mean learning about consequences – that is, what happens when you do the wrong thing.

Maybe there will be some kind of punishment like 'time out' in your room, missing out on something you like or not being allowed to visit friends after school.

Some mums and dads give the same punishment for everything (my mum always sent me to my room, but she didn’t realise that I liked being there so that I could read in peace!)

Learning to put right what is wrong (if you can) is a good way to make yourself and others feel better, eg. it may be an idea to negotiate something like saving up to buy a new window that you broke, or giving your toy to the person whose toy you broke. That way you will learn how to be more responsible a lot faster and that will be good for you and your mum and dad.

Can you think of some things you could do to make things better for someone?

Discipline at school

When you are at school the teachers are ‘in loco parentis’ which is a fancy way of saying that they have to look after you like your mum and dad do.

Of course teachers have lots of kids in their classes. That means that all the school rules, including classroom rules, which you may help to set up, are there to keep everyone safe, healthy and caring for each other, as well as not damaging their own and other people's feelings or things. There are rules about safety, eg. no running in corridors, not leaving the class without permission.

There are rules about health, eg. wearing a hat in the sun, washing hands before eating.

There are rules about getting on with others, eg. sharing, listening, being kind.

There are rules about looking after property - your own, other people’s and the school's.

As you get older, you know the rules and can help younger people understand them. You will learn about self-discipline, where you make good choices and help others to do the same. You know and accept the consequences of breaking rules. You become a person who is in charge of yourself and can be relied upon to do the right thing.

Try this game of concentration - match two of a kind (2 the same)

Click here to play the game

Discipline in the world outside

There are many laws about all kinds of things in the community, but most of these laws are to do with keeping people and property safe, wherever they are. Breaking these laws can lead to people getting hurt in some way.

Breaking the rules of road safety can cause an accident.

Breaking the law by stealing or damaging people’s property can get you into trouble with the Police and upset the people whose property was damaged or stolen. All the things you have learned at home and at school about good manners and caring about other's feelings are very important in the outside world too.

Following 'orders'

You may not be in the army, but there are some times when, wherever you are, you have to follow orders. When an adult who is responsible for your safety tells you to do something to keep you safe. Mum, Dad, teachers, older family and friends, your sports coach, the Police, etc. are all people to listen to in an emergency situation because they are looking after your safety.

Self-discipline

The adults in your life can help you learn about discipline and encourage you to become a responsible, happy and caring person.

Self-discipline is when you know what is the right thing to do and you do it without having to be reminded.You can learn self-discipline by:

listening

asking for an explanation

asking for help

thinking about the way you do things

looking at others who are good role models

looking at what happens to people who lack self-discipline

being the best that you can be at everything you do

practising.

Here are some ways in which you can show self-discipline:

"not joining in when people are saying hurtful things to someone" (Kristen)

"owning up when you’ve done something wrong" (Mario)

"asking for help if you are getting into trouble" (Di)

"handing something in when you find it" (Mia)

"sharing with others" (Tanya)

"following the rules at school" (Anthony)

"keeping up with schoolwork-even homework" (Mark)

"not joining in when people are doing something that can get them into trouble" (Ryan)

"being proud of your work and doing your best even if people tease you" (Tom)

"doing your chores without being asked." (Melanie)

Dr Kate says:

"Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everybody in the world had learned self discipline and knew what was right and wrong? What a safe, healthy, caring world it would be.

You can help to make the world a better place by behaving in a responsible, caring way and encouraging everyone to do the same."

(I discipline myself to exercise three times a week.)

Discipline

If we keep to the rule

Life is good.

At home or in school,

Do what you should.

If we care about each other,

Treat others like our brother,

Show respect and be kind,

Life is good.

If we don’t keep the rules

Life is bad.

Wherever we are

Afraid and sad

Life is bad.

Self discipline’s the way

To change our world today.

If we all do our best

Life is good.

BH

We've provided this information to help you to understand important things about staying healthy and happy. However, if you feel sick or unhappy, it is important to tell your mum or dad, a teacher or another grown-up.

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=1536#2

Keeping Discipline in the Classroom

Magdalena Sulich (Poland)

In the past, keeping discipline in the classroom was as important as teaching. Teachers were allowed to use corporal punishment, and some used it often. Of course, students didn’t like it very much! British and American research done before 1960 shows that children don’t like teachers who (among other things) are sarcastic and dominating, show favouritism, and punish students to keep discipline (Janowski 1995). However, that same research shows that teachers should not only be nice, patient, honest, and friendly but should also be able to keep order in class.

One of the main problems for every teacher, especially those just starting their careers, is being able to keep peace and order in class. We all have heard of well-meaning new teachers who wanted to be very friendly with their students but encountered chaos when students paid no attention to them. When this problem occurs, the teacher ends up wasting class time silencing students and calling for order, and sometimes doesn’t realize what went wrong. Only afterward will that teacher realise he or she should have started by being strict with clearly defined rules and then later could have given students more independence.

For me and my colleagues, discipline in the classroom is very important. We all know that there is no single ideal way to address the issue, so I decided to collect and summarise information on the subject. In this article, I will try to

define discipline, then give some reasons why it is often difficult to keep discipline, and finally discuss some ideas for improving a bad situation in class.

Defining discipline

The word discipline is understood today to mean conforming to rules, to supervisors’ orders, and to demands of the community or an institution. Even its derivation is inseparably connected with education; it comes from the Latin word discipulus, which means student. Latin disciplina refers to the way of treating students.

For the needs of pedagogy, Oko (1975, 296–97) speaks of “conscious discipline,” that is, obedience to rules and values that are un-questionably recognised by an individual or by society: “At school, conscious discipline occurs where there aren’t any big discrepancies between the systems of values represented by teachers and students.” He goes on to say that the basis for introducing conscious discipline at school in the educational process is in treating children and youth as partners who are shown respect by others but also are given appropriate responsibilities.

Many of the assumptions accepted by teachers, including those about discipline, have not been confirmed in the actual classroom. We can still hear from some teachers that students learn only when they are quiet, silence being regarded as a sign of intensive learning. This is connected to another belief that the only one who can and should teach is the teacher. Problems with discipline in the classroom usually start from this type of belief by the teacher. Teachers usually begin to have problems with discipline when they can’t motivate students or keep their concentration and attention, or when they don’t understand students’ reasons for misbehaving.

For me, discipline in the classroom is based on mutual respect of rights and duties of the teacher and students so that the aims of the lesson can be attained. Discipline includes creating and keeping rules based on reciprocal understanding and tolerance and requires establishing limits that must not be transgressed. Where is the line between good and bad behaviour? Probably there is no definition satisfactory to all.

According to McManus (1995), sometimes we hope that when we give a thing a name, we will get some power over it. It is impossible to create a definition of discipline that would be both useful and acceptable to all teachers, not to mention useful and acceptable to parents and others outside the classroom. McManus goes on to say that school behaviour is too complicated to put it into a single definition.

Most contemporary educators and methodologists avoid definitions of the word discipline because of its pejorative tone and frequent associations with corporal punishment. In spite of the difficulty of finding a suitable definition, I hope that I have outlined enough of the topic to allow us to take a closer look at students’ expectations about keeping order in the classroom.

Students’ expectations about discipline

Even young children going to school for the first time have their own expectations of the institution of school and of the people working there. These expectations reflect the specific culture of the country. Also, teachers, even those with little classroom experience, have expectations of students and of themselves. Expectations and perceptions influence classroom interaction from the beginning.

Research done by Nash amongst 12-yearold children led to the conclusion that they see the teacher in six dimensions, based on their expectations and perceptions at school (cited in Janowski 1995). The dimensions are:

Keeps order vs. Can’t keep order Children think that keeping discipline is a teacher’s basic duty, even more important than teaching. A teacher who is too soft arouses dislike, contempt, and disdain.

Teaches vs. Doesn’t teach To teach is to educate and give assignments, not to amuse with stories and jokes. According to young students, teaching consists of giving facts and other concrete data, not simply expressing opinions.

Explains difficult concepts vs. Doesn’t explain well For most students, it is the teacher who should make new and difficult material easier to understand. Incentives to do independent work can be perceived as not fulfilling a teacher’s duty.

Interesting lessons vs. Boring lessons This is a very important dimension for children, although they can’t always articulate what interesting teaching is. Generally speaking, an interesting and engaging lesson provides learners with new knowledge and has a consistent plan without any unnecessary interruptions.

Fair vs. Unfair For some students, a fair teacher is one who isn’t too strict. For others, however, fairness is more complex. For example, punishment may be considered fair only under certain conditions, such as after the teacher’s warnings and threats have been disregarded. Blaming students who are not responsible for the problem is clearly unfair. Teachers can and should be strict and determined in punishing, but the punishment has to be viable; for example, the teacher can’t demand complete silence during an entire lesson.

Friendly vs. Unfriendly Inexperienced teachers may consider this dimension more important than students actually do. For some students, friendliness of the teacher is optional, and other dimensions, such as fairness, are more important.

Whether it is due to students’ expectations or a generation gap between students and teachers, students usually give themselves a rather passive role. They leave all the work of maintaining discipline to their teacher. For this reason, in the beginning, it is important for the teacher to be able to control the situation in class. Children expect the teacher to define the limits of behaviour and then consistently enforce the rules, while allowing the students to make their own decisions. This can make it difficult to introduce a democratic teaching style.

From my observations, it seems that often students themselves try to prevent a teacher from keeping order. Sometimes, in more or less conscious ways, students try to take over the lesson. It depends on the character, knowledge, and experience of the teacher whether the teacher will control the class or the class will control the teacher.

Students’ games and strategies

Students may try to control the teacher and the lesson for different reasons, some of which they themselves might not understand. They use a variety of games and strategies, which they might not be able to explain. The aim of many students is not really learning but getting the best possible marks at the least cost, or simply surviving, or staying unnoticed for as long as possible. These games and strategies, therefore, are not connected to learning.

Early games

Students misbehave for different purposes, one of which is to find out how much a teacher will allow or to test the teacher’s limits. This tends to happen during the first few classes and can be the beginning of a bigger discipline

problem later. These games often consist of showing off in front of other students and include joking, making comments against the teacher or to contradict the teacher’s orders, asking unnecessarily for the teacher’s help, and forming alliances with likeminded classmates. Other examples are asking silly questions, misleading the teacher, asking for information that requires complicated explanations, pretending that the teacher isn’t present, talking back, displaying insolence openly, laughing or making loud noises, and making rude or mocking gestures. Most experienced teachers realize that this type of disruptive behaviour is usually temporary.

Long-term strategies

Other kinds of misbehaviour are not temporary, and these I call strategies. For the purpose of this article, I will consider these strategies as methods to achieve some reaction in the teacher and/or classmates, especially over a long period of time. A particular strategy may not be chosen intentionally or consciously for a specific aim. Also, these strategies for controlling behaviour or disrupting order may not be used consistently.

Komorowska (2002) presents a combination of strategies with possible causes and responses, three of which are summarized in the chart on the next page. The first one, achieving learning goals, is not usually a discipline problem unless the teacher’s response is mistaken.

The strategy that is most important for us is the strategy of rebellion because this one causes the biggest problems. It is used by students who want to disturb the teacher in an ostentatious way. The only solution for rebellion is to first find the cause, which can be a difficult living situation at home, emotional problems, or the desire to be the center of attention. It is usually easier to draw someone’s

attention (classmates or the teacher) by behaving badly than by behaving properly, which can take more time and effort.

Rebellious students are often confused with good students who show their academic talents over their weaker classmates in an equally ostentatious way. Rebellious children can easily be confused with overactive children with a disposition for kinaesthetic learning. So, the first step is to find out which students have real discipline problems. To avoid conflicts with rebellious students, teachers should avoid open tests of strength and alliances, praise them often for even small successes, emphasise their best qualities, and use their abilities for the good of the class (Komorowska 2002). This could mean asking for their help in a way that will give them authority and meaning in the eyes of their classmates, but not in competition with the teacher.

Methods of keeping discipline

I have successfully used three methods to maintain discipline: keeping students’ attention, establishing clear rules, and, when necessary, explicitly addressing discipline problems.

Keeping students’ attention

Keeping students engaged in the lesson is the basis for keeping order in the class. Here are several ways to do it:

Provide a clear structure for the lesson. After greeting the students, begin by briefly stating an outline of the lesson. Separate parts of the lesson with expressions such as We have finished our work on…. and Now we can go on to…. Make clear conclusions. All of these steps can help focus learners’ attention on the lesson.

Do many short activities instead of a few long ones. Short exercises that change the task and work required of the students can help their concentration.

Use an unpredictable order when calling on students. When learners know they are not going to have to answer, their minds wander. An element of uncertainty is necessary, so say the student’s name after asking the question, not before. Avoid exercises with “chain” answering.

Establishing clear rules

Students must feel their autonomy and take part in creating rules so that they feel responsible for obeying them. To avoid future conflicts, it is necessary to create strict rules together at the beginning of the course, even in the first lesson. These rules should contain basic responsibilities such as:

Grading scales and criteria.

Consequences of absences, tardiness, and missed assignments.

Rewards for extra work.

Consequences for disruptive behavior.

Teachers must apply the rules to everyone without showing favouritism. Rules should be concise and clear, and everyone should receive a copy (or the teacher can hang them in the classroom in a visible place).

Addressing discipline problems

Keeping order during the lesson usually requires avoiding unnecessary interruptions and changes in the lesson plan. Arguing with students, commenting on their behaviour, and any shouting means the troublemaking students have succeeded and the goals of the lesson have been lost. If the

situation gets worse, students’ aggression is likely to increase, and they receive the attention they desire.

Three effective ways of addressing discipline problems, in the order in which they should be used, are:

Nonverbal approach

When a student does something to disturb the class, the teacher should continue with the lesson while reacting calmly and nonverbally. This can be making eye contact with the disruptive student, standing near the student, making calming gestures, or all of these things simultaneously.

Verbal approach

Without interrupting the lesson, the teacher can try another set of techniques to stop or minimize disruptive behaviour. These include lowering his or her voice, inserting the student’s name in a statement, and calling on the student to answer a question or to repeat the answer of another student. The teacher might also change the task and quickly organize a common activity. It is very important to remember that the teacher should not attempt to prove that the offending student doesn’t know something but should terminate the disruption without giving a public scolding. When these first two approaches fail, it is time to react verbally to the offensive behaviour. Unfortunately, too many teachers use this approach first.

Reacting to the disruptive behaviour

The teacher can make a short statement identifying the incorrect behaviour, a short expression of the wish for good behavior, or an announcement of a reward for good behaviour. It is worth remembering that a teacher who can’t calm students in a skillful way can make the situation worse. Any comments the teacher makes should be short because they will also be considered interruptions by the students who are not misbehaving. Finally, in using these techniques, we must remember two things: we can criticise a student’s

behaviour, but we should not criticise the student; and our criticism should be constructive and polite.

Conclusion

On some occasions, all teachers have problems with keeping discipline. Some teachers have a natural gift for arousing respect from their students, while others must work very hard to get it. With or without this natural talent, a teacher has to learn a lot about sociology, psychology, and pedagogy and also learn a lot from his or her experience with students.

The problem of keeping discipline in the classroom is too widespread and complex to provide an ideal solution for all circumstances in an article of this length. In my opinion, too little is said and written about this critical aspect of teaching. I hope that these ideas and suggestions will help teachers find practical solutions to discipline problems they encounter in their classrooms.

What are good manners?

Courtesy, politeness or having good manners are all about respecting others and yourself.

How would you feel if someone: talked to your friend but turned his back to you?

pushed you out of the way to get the seat you were about to sit on?

let the door slam in your face as you were about to walk through it?

shared your things but never shared anything of theirs?

never said 'please' or 'thank you'

didn't pass your phone message to your friend?

Good manners is about considering the feelings of other people, and being the kind of person that others will like and respect.

In the 'olden days' children were taught about the Golden Rule - "Always do to others as you would wish them to do to you if you were in their place."

This is still a good way to behave nowadays. If you are respectful to others, then you are more likely to be treated with respect by them.

If you show good manners everywhere you go, then you are more likely to encourage others to behave in the same way towards you.

Look at the following ideas from kids and see if you can think why they chose these examples of good manners.

What good manners look like at home

being helpful to others in your home

saying 'please' and 'thank you'

sharing and not grabbing and keeping good things to yourself

respecting other people's property and their rooms

helping the family by doing your chores

cleaning up after yourself.

Manners at schoolsaying good morning/afternoon if you are walking past an adult who you know

asking if you can borrow something, not just taking

returning things that you have borrowed

waiting your turn before you speak

saying 'excuse me,' rather than pushing past someone

holding the door open for the person coming in, especially if he is carrying something

respecting your own and other people's property, especially school property

saying 'please' and 'thank you'.