The Essential 55
Ron Clark is a world renowned educator and author, currently teaching in the Atlanta area. Mr. Clark has published several books, but perhaps his most famous is The Essential 55: An Award-Winning Educator's Rules For Discovering the Successful Student in Every Child. Many of his "rules" are just good, old-fashioned common sense. Others you have to think about. We will be talking about many of these essentials throughout the school year. The attachment on the right includes a basic list of all 55, but the book goes into so much more detail, and is within an engaging and moving story. I have posted Rule #29 here, which is the longest and one we will look at often. We will focus on five rules each week of the first quarter in our class meetings.
|
|
Rule # 29:
“There are several manners dealing with food that you must follow: I call these my ABC’s of Etiquette.
A. When you first sit down for a meal, immediately place you napkin in your lap. If you silverware is wrapped in a napkin, unwrap it as soon as you sit down and place the napkin in your lap.
B. When you are finished eating, place your napkin on the table to the left of your plate. Place it loosely beside the plate. Don’t crumple it, because you don’t want to seem untidy. Don’t fold it too neatly, because you don’t want the restaurant to think you assume they are going to use it again. Never leave your napkin on your chair. This implies that the napkin is too dirty to be left on the table. Also, in some cultures, leaving the napkin on the chair is known as a way to say that you don’t intend to return to the restaurant again.
C. Never place you elbows on the table.
D. Use one hand to eat, unless you are cutting or buttering food. Never have your fork in one hand and a glass in the other.
E. Do not lick your fingers. There is a napkin provided for the purpose of cleaning your fingers. There is no need to lick yourself clean.
F. Do not smack you lips or chew noisily.
G. Do not chew with your mouth open.
H. Do not talk with your mouth full. Sometimes people will place a hand over their mouth and talk anyway. Don’t do that. Wait until you have swallowed your food to speak.
I. If something is caught in your teeth, don’t go in after it; wait until you are in the rest room to remove it.
J. Do not slurp.
K. Do not play with your food.
L. If you drop your fork, napkin, or anything else on the floor, DO NOT pick it up. It is very rude and unsanitary to place something on the table that has been on the floor. If you pick up something that has dropped and hand it to a waiter, then you will need to excuse yourself and wash your hands before continuing with your meal. The best way to handle a situation when something has dropped on the floor is to ask a waiter for a replacement; leave the old one on the floor.
M. You are to use your utensils for eating almost everything.
Here are ten types of food you may use your hands to eat: Pizza, Bacon, Cookies, Bread (Always tear off a bite-sized piece to eat. If you are going to use butter, never butter the whole piece of bread; butter the piece you tore off, and eat that before tearing another piece.), Corn on the cob, Hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches (including breakfast biscuits), French fries and chips, Fried chicken, Asparagus (yes, asparagus), Small fruits (like grapes on a stem), apples, oranges, carrots, etc.
N. Never reach over someone’s plate to get something. You should say, “Will you please pass the salt?”
O. Never start eating off of your tray until you are at your seat.
P. When we are eating at a restaurant, you are not to begin eating until everyone at the table has received food.
Q. You should never complain if the line is too long, the food isn’t good, or if there is a wait. You don’t want to be negative to the point where you spoil the enjoyment of the event for others.
R. If you are unsure which silverware to use, simply start with the fork, knife or spoon that is the farthest from your plate. On the left, you will have your salad fork on the outside and your dinner fork on the inside. On the far right, you will have your soupspoon. Beside it you will have the spoon you will use to stir your coffee or tea, then your salad knife, and then your dinner knife. The utensils above your plate are to be used for dessert.
S. When you are finished eating, do not push your plate away from you. Leave it where it is in the setting. If you want to show you have finished eating, you should lay your fork and knife together diagonally across the plate. You should place the fork with the tines down, and you should have the sharp side of the knife facing down. Of the two utensils, the fork should be closest to you.
T. Never place a piece of silverware that you have used back on the table. Leave it on a plate or saucer.
U. If you didn’t use a utensil, do not place it on a plate or saucer when you are finished. Just leave it where it is.
V. Always look a waiter in the eyes when you are ordering, asking a question, or saying thank you.
W. Make a point to remember the waiter’s name when he introduces himself to you. Use his name as often as possible throughout the course of the meal.
X. If you have to go to the rest room, you should stand up and say, “Excuse me,” as you leave the table.
Y. When you are offered desserts or asked a question such as “What sides would you like?” or “What dressing would you like for your salad?” it is best to ask, “What are my options?” That way, you aren’t going through a process of naming things the restaurant might not have.
Z. Never talk to waiters or waitresses as if they are servants. Treat them with respect and kindness, and remember, they are the ones who are fixing food and bringing it to you. You do not want to be on the bad side of a waiter.”
A. When you first sit down for a meal, immediately place you napkin in your lap. If you silverware is wrapped in a napkin, unwrap it as soon as you sit down and place the napkin in your lap.
B. When you are finished eating, place your napkin on the table to the left of your plate. Place it loosely beside the plate. Don’t crumple it, because you don’t want to seem untidy. Don’t fold it too neatly, because you don’t want the restaurant to think you assume they are going to use it again. Never leave your napkin on your chair. This implies that the napkin is too dirty to be left on the table. Also, in some cultures, leaving the napkin on the chair is known as a way to say that you don’t intend to return to the restaurant again.
C. Never place you elbows on the table.
D. Use one hand to eat, unless you are cutting or buttering food. Never have your fork in one hand and a glass in the other.
E. Do not lick your fingers. There is a napkin provided for the purpose of cleaning your fingers. There is no need to lick yourself clean.
F. Do not smack you lips or chew noisily.
G. Do not chew with your mouth open.
H. Do not talk with your mouth full. Sometimes people will place a hand over their mouth and talk anyway. Don’t do that. Wait until you have swallowed your food to speak.
I. If something is caught in your teeth, don’t go in after it; wait until you are in the rest room to remove it.
J. Do not slurp.
K. Do not play with your food.
L. If you drop your fork, napkin, or anything else on the floor, DO NOT pick it up. It is very rude and unsanitary to place something on the table that has been on the floor. If you pick up something that has dropped and hand it to a waiter, then you will need to excuse yourself and wash your hands before continuing with your meal. The best way to handle a situation when something has dropped on the floor is to ask a waiter for a replacement; leave the old one on the floor.
M. You are to use your utensils for eating almost everything.
Here are ten types of food you may use your hands to eat: Pizza, Bacon, Cookies, Bread (Always tear off a bite-sized piece to eat. If you are going to use butter, never butter the whole piece of bread; butter the piece you tore off, and eat that before tearing another piece.), Corn on the cob, Hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches (including breakfast biscuits), French fries and chips, Fried chicken, Asparagus (yes, asparagus), Small fruits (like grapes on a stem), apples, oranges, carrots, etc.
N. Never reach over someone’s plate to get something. You should say, “Will you please pass the salt?”
O. Never start eating off of your tray until you are at your seat.
P. When we are eating at a restaurant, you are not to begin eating until everyone at the table has received food.
Q. You should never complain if the line is too long, the food isn’t good, or if there is a wait. You don’t want to be negative to the point where you spoil the enjoyment of the event for others.
R. If you are unsure which silverware to use, simply start with the fork, knife or spoon that is the farthest from your plate. On the left, you will have your salad fork on the outside and your dinner fork on the inside. On the far right, you will have your soupspoon. Beside it you will have the spoon you will use to stir your coffee or tea, then your salad knife, and then your dinner knife. The utensils above your plate are to be used for dessert.
S. When you are finished eating, do not push your plate away from you. Leave it where it is in the setting. If you want to show you have finished eating, you should lay your fork and knife together diagonally across the plate. You should place the fork with the tines down, and you should have the sharp side of the knife facing down. Of the two utensils, the fork should be closest to you.
T. Never place a piece of silverware that you have used back on the table. Leave it on a plate or saucer.
U. If you didn’t use a utensil, do not place it on a plate or saucer when you are finished. Just leave it where it is.
V. Always look a waiter in the eyes when you are ordering, asking a question, or saying thank you.
W. Make a point to remember the waiter’s name when he introduces himself to you. Use his name as often as possible throughout the course of the meal.
X. If you have to go to the rest room, you should stand up and say, “Excuse me,” as you leave the table.
Y. When you are offered desserts or asked a question such as “What sides would you like?” or “What dressing would you like for your salad?” it is best to ask, “What are my options?” That way, you aren’t going through a process of naming things the restaurant might not have.
Z. Never talk to waiters or waitresses as if they are servants. Treat them with respect and kindness, and remember, they are the ones who are fixing food and bringing it to you. You do not want to be on the bad side of a waiter.”