Manners Matter for Students

Fred Hartley and Andrea Hartley Smith
Barbour Books (2006)
ISBN 1597893064
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (1/07)

Have manners gone out of style for teens?  “Manners are timeless.  Manners are valuable.”  For us to become the person God means for us to be we must have manners.  This book is written specifically for teens who want to “live confidently and respectfully toward others and be shown respect in return.”  Those that exhibit manners will be much more successful in this world. “Manners Matter for Students,” covers many areas where a student might not know how to properly react such as:  introductions, making meaningful conversation, telephone manners, personal manners (hygiene), and personal values. 

The authors offer great advice on introductions.  They include instructions on what to do when you are being introduced or someone is being introduced to you, how to speak to adults, and opening conversation lines. Even as adults we’ve faced the insecurity of what to say to someone you’ve just met.  “After you ask a question, listen to the response.”  Soon you will “discover points of common interest.”

Your conversations will have an impact of how people perceive you.  “An important part of the art of conversation is learning to listen and asking appropriate questions.”  Meaningful questions show a person that you are interested and you are listening. This book has some very good guidelines such as not standing too close to someone, your body language, and hand gestures.  It is always to be remembered that certain things are off limits, such as gossip, flattery, ethnic jokes, inappropriate jokes and confidential information, which are not things that can leave people feeling good about themselves.

“Manners Matter for Students” has impressed me.  As an educator I have seen a failure of the parents and the school system to stress this important area.  The authors have done an excellent job covering many aspects of what should be common sense.  The cover is hilarious and will catch the eye of many teens.  I intend to take this book into my classroom and share it with my students.  This book should be required reading in all schools. It is with great honor that I highly recommend this book to educators, parents, grandparents, teens, and preteens.

Make comment on weblog