Ten things every high school student should know.
1) Cell phone etiquette. It's not appropriate to have a person standing there, talking to you when you're texting someone else.
2) How to handle an introduction. Basic etiquette in introducing yourself and others.
3) How to study. My students don't seem to have any idea how to begin studying. When I use literacy strategies with them, they seem to think it's in isolation--that the strategies can't be used in other classes.
4) How to fill out basic forms. I've helped students fill out job and other applications and they have no idea how to interpret the questions, or which questions are relevant to answer.
5) Use proper language. Enough with the chat/text lingo. When I get assignments that have those types of abbreviations, it makes me scratch my head. Knowing when to use foul language is an art form these days, too. I call it special language that should be reserved for special times and school is never special. They humor me and laugh.
6) Use a directory. Being able to locate information in printed form--phone book, dictionary, etc, is important. Using the index in their text books is asking just too much.
7) Be interested. It's almost sad that a lot of my students are not interested in anything that doesn't immediately affect them. They have no interest in the future. No interest in the past.
8) How to be an audience. We have performers and speakers at school and I'm always embarrassed at how poorly the students behave. It's like they're sitting in their living room with all their friends, instead of being part of something bigger. Be quiet!
9) Basic laundry skills. I'm including light mending (buttons, seam rips) in the laundry skills. But it's important to know how to separate, sort and fold correctly.
10) How to unplug. Headphones shouldn't be worn 24/7. I went to a national park and saw kids with electronic games, portable DVD players, iPods and other stuff. Unplug already!
4 comments:
Yes, X10!
I MAKE my kids unplug in my class (GASP! Even in my STUDY HALLS!). They hate me for it, but I don't care. They need the quiet time.
I would add here that learning to interview is important; approaching someone of a higher (or more formal) status and knowing how to comport oneself is a lost art, methinks...
It was so hard to narrow down to ten!
these are all so true. i don't teach, but i've seen all the things you talked about. i CAN'T STAND the damn texting while i'm talking to someone. it's about the rudest thing you can do. and, it is sad that kids today don't have any interest in anything besides themselves.
*mingle
Mingle****
Cellphones should not be a school issue. They should not be allowed in school. There should be a class on cellphone manners however.
I was in a waiting room a doctors office. A sign on the door said, "please do not use cellphones."
Three or four people made calls while I was waiting. cellphones were ringing. It was crazy.
Then you have to listen to someone's inane one-sided conversation.
It appears the cellphone is important to tell whomever the person is calling and all the people in the waiting room, that you are getting the boil on your ass lanced today.
Actually schools should have classes on manners.
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