I was rummaging through a box of books donated to the library and came across Ron Clark's The Essential 55. It is a book on the basic manners a child should be taught. Well, according to him, it's rules and expectations. I didn't get to read the whole thing, but I flipped through a few pages. I agreed with much of what I read (I think I looked at 10-15 of the rules). One of the rules I liked was about children addressing adults with respect (yes, ma am/sir). These kids have gotten out of control with talking back and trying to barter. I see this nearly every day in my classroom, even from the students who are generally well-behaved. They think that arguing with me is going to change my mind. I just look at them and say, "What did I just say?" Or, I say,"Excuse me?" and they say, "yes, ma am," and look away or down. I'm not a parent, but I do spend countless hours with 14 children 5 days a week. I do what I can to train them, but ultimately, it is up to the parent.

Sorry...got off on a rabbit trail. The book itself seems interesting, nonetheless. The principles seem right.