Posts Tagged “disrespectful”

Grown-Ups Need a Kindergarten Refresher!

Over spring break I was lucky enough to get to go to Las Vegas with my mom and daughter. A “just the girls” having a good time trip. We did have a spectacular time. The shows we saw were wonderful, we got to meet a couple of the guys from Pawn Stars, and the weather was super. None of us were big winners, but then none of us were big losers either. It was the perfect escape from “teacher” mode, or at least I thought it would be.

Try as I might, I still slipped back into teacher mode though. Tourists are rude! We used the bus system to get up and down the strip, and to go see the light show downtown one night. Did you realize there are adults who do not know how a line works?

Standing in a line, which had a number of people in it, we saw a couple come up to sit on a bench past the front of the line. The bus pulled up, the people at the front of the line get on and this couple shoves in front of us and enters the bus.

“Excuse me sir, did all the neon blind you? There is a line; you need to take your turn at the end of it. Shoving people out of the way is disrespectful and RUDE!” He pretended not to hear me, but I knew he was listening and his “lady friend” was blushing. My daughter as well as a couple of other people also piped in to comment on his rudeness, and when he finally finished paying their fares he flipped his little receipt at us.

“REALLY??!!! Flip your little receipt at adults calling you out on common courtesy and manners??!! How old are you sir, 4??” I am sure he will do this again, as he obviously felt we were in the wrong to bring his etiquette faux pax to the forefront, but I for one have gotten very tired of being pushed, bumped into, crowded over, cut off etc. without so much as a quietly mumbled “excuse me”. Yet, adults will complain about how “kids these days” act in public. Are you a good role model, Mr. Cut In Line, Flip Your Receipt?

Any kindergartener can tell you the rules of a line. “No budging” is the first one for pity sake. Along with, if you get out of line you go to the end; you can’t save a place for your friend; and the leader is always first! These students will often argue to hold the door for others coming in or out, instead of pushing past them and then letting slam in their face. My first graders offer to carry my “tub” for me, they tell me thank you when I do something for them, and say excuse me when they need to. Why? Because I, as a teacher, consistently model this behavior and reward it with all the students I see during the day, it’s really not rocket science.

But, I will place a bet that at least one parent will be completely surprised when at conferences I tell them their child is polite and helpful. “My child? Are you sure you are talking about the right kid? It’s sure a different story at home.” It’s a different story in Las Vegas too.