A slice of nice, makes a mile of smile!

I am going to hopefully one day be an elementary teacher. One of my biggest concerns about teaching is teaching the children the right thing to do and say. Basically their manners, but why should teachers be responsible for that? When I grew up, my parents taught me manners and the respect I should give to my elders. Why are parents pushing off this responsibility to their child’s teacher?

A woman by the name of Margery Cuyler recognizes the problem and has created a hopefully good solution. She is an author who has seen that children aren’t learning what they should be at the young age, so she took it in her hands to be a Good Samaritan and make it easier for teachers who already have a lot on their plates. She has created books for teachers to read in their classrooms to teach about acts of kindness.

In her book she has a teacher by the name of Mrs. Ruler, and her classroom is filled with grumpy children because it is raining outside. One of the students realize they are acting up, and she responds with “Kindness is cooler, Mrs. Ruler.” I think this is a creative way to intrigue children and catch their attention. I know in middle school rhyming always caught my attention. The author makes sure she uses rhyming lingo throughout her book to keep the subject fun and entertaining.

Mrs. Ruler makes sure that her students know that acts of kindness are a must in our world today. In the book when her students act up, she gives them the task of, “five acts of kindness for your families,” and reporting back for show-and-tell. The next day the children come back with their stories. Such as, vacuuming the house, setting the table or sharing their toys.

Cuyler is getting some criticism from the media for her book. Mrs. Ruler’s moral hyperbole: “All it takes is one simple act — one act of kindness that will make the world a better place.” But, some view this as a bad moral because they think that even the smallest things done by the children become homework and a simple chore becomes an act of kindness, something is wrong at home. I think this is not a good way to view this book. Cuyler is trying to remind parents and help teachers in their classrooms. She is trying to help parents teach their children about manners and acts of kindness. This article, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/books/review/London-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin, helps explain more in depth about the book and how it is being utilized by parents and teachers.

All in all, I think that people need to realize that the youth is our future. Sometimes we just assume that things are known especially when it involves children. I think we need to focus on teaching our children the right things to do and the acts of kindness they should perform for their neighbors. I feel like this book is a great start to creating awareness in parents. She is really pushing for parents to talk to their children, and make sure they understand that children need to be taught.