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TEACHING KIDS TO BE CIVILIZED

It is never too early to start teaching children what it means to be civilized. The earlier you start, the more likely these skills will stick with the child as he grows up. Being a kindergarten teacher, I see many kids coming to school with no social skills whatsoever. I can choose to ignore it and try to work my way around it, or I can teach my students some basics on how to treat one another and make my job a lot easier. I choose to train the little people.

LISTENING SKILLS
One of the first things taught in my classroom is how to listen. This sounds pretty simple and indeed it is. Some students have no idea what it means to pay attention and listen. They will start talking to each other in the middle of a story or if they are really uncivilized, they will get up and start wandering around the room.

Modeling how to listen is the first step in teaching them how to do it. Show them what it looks like and what it sounds like. Listening means that you are looking at the speaker, keeping your hands to yourself, and your mouth is closed. When the teacher is speaking, you may raise your hand and wait for the teacher to call on you. Be consistent with this expectation so that students know that it is a non-negotiable.

It is always a good idea to point out the positive rather than the negative. This means that if little Johnny is not paying attention but Rosie is, then the teacher praises Rosie for showing good listening. Inevitably, little Johnny will straighten up and focus on the teacher, hoping she will notice him too. Most kids want to please the teacher, but may not always be aware of how to do it. Show them the way through other students.

RESPECT
Another really important social skill to teach small children is mutual respect; I will respect you and expect you to do the same to me. This is a good skill to model by role playing. Kids always find it immensely entertaining when the teacher plays the part of a child. Pick another child to role play with you. That child can pretend to be coloring or writing. You then smirk and say things like "Your drawing is ugly!" The other kids howl with laughter. It is then that you point out that it is unacceptable to say things like that. Then you model how it should look like instead. You smile and say something like "I like your drawing!" The other child should respond with something like "Thank you! I like your drawing, too!"

Ask the children how it feels when someone says mean things to them. Then

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