Confessions of a Charm School Teacher

As alluded to in my previous posts late last week, I am teaching a class called "Life Skills" at John Roberts Powers in the Galleria Towers, every other Saturday. JRP is a talent and modelling agency, so they place kids and teens (mostly) in a lot of print ads and TV commercials. They teach runway modelling, do photo shoots, teach acting and dance. The class I teach goes over basic etiquette, fashion tips, makeup, health, etc. So, that's basically like the old-school Charm School.

Emily Post

What is Charm School, you ask? You may be unfamiliar with this idea. But, "back in the day" a lot of young women really didn't go to college after they finished high school. They got married, had babies and kept house. Think, June Cleaver. However, if you were privileged, you might go to Charm School as a young woman, before you were married. In Charm School you learned all sorts of useful information about how to throw fabulous dinner parties for your one-day important husband's colleagues. You learned what to do with a 25-piece placesetting of silver. You learned how to build a wardrobe, including what the rules were about matching your hats and gloves with you handbag. Overall, how to be a charming woman and wife.


Fast-forward to the 21st century, and we have young girls wanting to be Hannah Montana and crushing on the Jonas Brothers. Girls with eating disorders. I'm talking about 9 year olds worried about getting fat so they starve themselves. 11 year olds with fake nails and highlights in their hair. Stores like Libby Lou that dress 8 year olds like Brittany Spears and teach them how to shake their booty. (Thank GOD that place has gone out of business! At least in our mall it has.)

I guess in my day we had Madonna and the New Kids on the Block, but everything seems hyped up that much more.

So where does that leave Christian young women? If they really follow Jesus, how can they follow the culture too? Y'all know that I'm no prude, and I definitely won't advocate dressing in those much-feared "missionary dresses", going without make up, and never listening to secular music. I even have fake nails. I love my acrylics, and actually I'm about to get rid of them, but only because I'm trying to save money. I've never dyed my hair, but I'm blessed with pretty good natural highlights. Although, I do keep finding stray grey hairs, so I'm not far away from needing to color.

But I digress. I have this opportunity to teach something that I love, namely etiquette, but also an opportunity to influence young women in a positive way. Wait, you love etiquette? you ask? Yes. I'm just weird like that. I study old etiquette books for fun, and yes, I DO know what to do with a 25-piece placesetting of silver, thank you very much. AND why your hat and gloves should match. Nevermind that it's fairly useless information.

Sorry, digressing again. JRP has no curriculum for this class, or, rather, they did, but the last instructor took the manual with her and never returned it. They have given me carte blanche to teach what I want, I have only a basic outline of general subjects to go through. Like I said, a great opportunity to influence young women. Hopefully I can teach them something about inner beauty, not just the outer looks and behavior. Because I believe one of the reasons to be concerned with teaching etiquette and manners is that it reflects who you are on the inside, and if you are a Christ-follower, it reflects Him. Are we not called to love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness? Having "good manners" means that you are treating others kindly, with respect, and etiquette is merely a tool to help you do that. But, I have to translate this for a secular setting, for ages 4-19.

So, more to come about my adventures as a "Charm School" teacher, as I'm sure that I'll have interesting and funny stories. But for now, let me hear from you. If you have daughters, how do you instill godly values? What do you think about manners? Any tips on teaching really young kids manners?

Miss Manners?

Anyone who knows me in real life, knows that I like etiquette. Not that I'm like a stuffy old lady, but I like things that are proper, I like china and silver and setting a pretty table, I like hand-written notes and hand-addressed envelopes. *I think I read too much Jane Austen when I was young.* I read ettiquette books for fun, and collect old copies of Emily Post, Amy Vanderbilt and the like. The older, more antiquated the "rules", the better!

So, I have had the opportunity arise to teach ettiquette and poise classes at John Roberts Powers group starting tomorrow! I am really excited! I will update next week on how tomorrow's classes go. Pray for me, as this will be quite "off the cuff", at least for tomorrow's sessions, and the first session is for 4-7 year olds. Yikes! Those that know me in real life also know that I'm not big on little kids, but I think I have some ideas to help make it fun for both of us. The kids I will be teaching are in modeling and acting, so they should, hopefully, know how to be attentive and will be receptive.

Here's some thoughts that I will might be developing:
* What do you think ettiquette is? Why do you think it's important?
* Why should you be concerned with the "proper" things to do?
* What is self-confidence and what does it have to do with manners?
* The "Golden Rule" and what it means for your everyday life
* Acting "like a lady (or gentleman)": an old-fashioned idea for a post-modern world