For years, I’ve taught my elementary school students how to apologize when they are sorry for something. (I never force them to apologize, but give them space and skills to help them apologize when they want to.) One of my students brought up a “don’t” list, recently. He said it’s just as important to know what \*not\* to say. Like “don’t talk about somebody else who did something worse than you did.” I love that one.
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What else do you think I should teach them to put on the “don’t” list?
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The apology steps are:
Accept responsibility
Acknowledge the impact.
Express regret.
Apologize
Commit to change.
Offer restitution.
Ask for forgiveness