As one of those quiet people who likes to sit back and people watch, I’m always amazed at what is viewed as acceptable behavior, both by students and adults.  Most students, I’ll call them out on it in a heartbeat.  Teachable moments are what I live for and whether isn’t language, manners, character, or any plethora of actions (ask my student about napkins and they roll their collective eyes), they need to be taught, period.  Sometimes, I over step my bounds, I’m sure of it, but yet, if I don’t who will?

 

Adults, that’s a whole different story.  Being who I am, I’ve seen adults “suggest” to other adults that they work on changing behaviors, usually with less then positive results.  Now, my wife, she suggests like crazy, but that in our home, privately.  Out in public, no, not my cup of tea.  And it seems with the explosion of social media, what is acceptable seems to be falling to the lowest common denominator. Why do I or anyone in the world need to know the intimate details of your love life?  I will admit though -*Twitter plug*- I love how I can control those coming in and out, keeping my Twitter conversation focused on what I’m interested in: education, organic agriculture, and general tomfoolery. 🙂

 

Anyway my point, sometimes, silence is golden.  Allow obnoxious person in line their point of view and be thankful you can walk away.  Give that student their talk time in the morning, because for some, you are the only ear that listens.  Yet, use those teachable moments to show your students, your own kids, that actions have meaning and they do matter.

 

It takes so little to show your students what is acceptable in a world where it means very little. Why not? 🙂