You know I have a variety of interests, right? It has always been a passion of mine to teach people etiquette.
I had NO training when I was a child, so learned everything by intently watching, waiting until someone ELSE did something and following their lead.
Did this get me into some less-than-proper-etiquette situations? Absolutely!
Oh, how I wished for someone to teach me! But, I read a lot of advice columns, found some books on the subject (pre-internet you know) and kept learning.
Guess what? I decided that if I was so interested, that there must be others out there who had the same insecurities as me and created one of my first classes ever! I taught high school kids, college and adults in random classes over the years and had a great time, but I put it away a few years ago when I saw the explosion of etiquette classes and books offered, but then…….
I was recently asked to teach a class on Etiquette for a group consisting of 10-18 middle school girls ranging from 11- 14 years old.
Of COURSE, I jumped at the chance and was thinking of how to approach the topic. You see, I have taught etiquette for older teens, college age folks and adults, but have not ventured into the middle school age before.
In light of trying to make the topic as interesting for the students as I could, I asked them to send me some etiquette questions THEY might have. Here is a partial list:
What are tips for remembering to keep good posture?
How do you write a good thank you note?
When listening to music in a car with a friend and her family and you aren’t too fond of what they’re listening to, what should you say?
How do you tell a boy you like him in a calm and sophisticated way?
Is it impolite to text at your friend’s house?
What is the best kind of etiquette a person should have?
What is the right way to give advice and receive it? Is there a specific way?
Can I say…..WOW? Just WOW! I am so inspired that these are the kinds of questions going around in the minds of these young people!
A couple of questions for YOU:
If you had someone teaching YOU, what questions would YOU ask?
What would YOUR advice be to the above questions?
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