Manners Matter: Ages 13 to 19

Introduction

Manners Matter is an etiquette curriculum with consecutive products for three age groups. Youth use the series in cooperation with an adult helper. The series includes activity guides for ages 5 to 8, 9 to 12, and 13 to 19. The series also includes a Helper's Guide with tips and background information, along with several activities designed for group participation.

Helper's Instructions

As a helper to a young person, you will play the roles of coach, cheerleader, referee, and spectator. You will help the youth develop and refine social skills that will make him or her a better friend, student, and citizen. The activities you will oversee also teach other important life skills, including communication, empathy, personal safety, disease prevention, community service/volunteering, and marketable skills. Notice that you are called a "helper" instead of teacher. That's because the "teacher" in this curriculum is the experience itself. Each activity is patterned on the experiential learning model. This learning method encourages a young person to try to do something without being told or shown how. You can read more about it in this introductory section. For now, look over the list below to understand your responsibilities as helper.

• Make sure you have a copy of the entire curriculum. Read the Helper's Guide and the youth activity guides before starting.


• Educate yourself on current standards of etiquette. The "Resources" section lists a variety of books on etiquette for youth. These are just a few of many fine resources available in libraries and bookstores.


• Assist the youth in doing the activities.


• Help the young person to think through why something happened the way it did. Make sure you review and discuss the "Finishing School" questions at the end of activity. The experiential learning process is not complete until participants have reflected on the experience and applied what they learned to their everyday life.


• Provide moral support and positive feedback. Help the youth to discover their strengths and weaknesses.

The Experiential Learning Model

The experiential learning model has five steps: experience, share, process, generalize, and apply. In this guide, the activity is the experience or "do" part of the cycle. The remaining parts are fulfilled by the review questions in each activity.

Youth Instructions:
Advanced Etitquette

By now, you've learned how to treat your peers and elders with respect. But as you enter a more grown-up world, you'll face lots of new challenges. You may even face pressure to behave badly or irresponsibly. You will continue to improve your character and your manners if you can be mature enough to do the right thing in any situation. Good manners will help you in your lifelong relationships, your education, and your jobs.

In this guide, you'll learn social skills to make you more polished and popular. Here are some skills you will practice.

• How to observe and learn from others' interactions
• How to borrow items responsibly
• How to be sympathetic to people in difficult situations
• How to be a good Internet citizen
• How to walk, ride, or drive courteously and safely in public
• How to interview for a job
• How to have a pleasant restaurant meal
• How to practice advanced phone etiquette