Show and Tell

In the front of my classroom, there hangs a poster reading, "Acta Non Verba."  As I explain on the first day of class, it means "Actions, not words."  

I always explain to my students that this saying applies both to me and to them.  There is no "Do as I say, not as I do" in this class.  If I were to expect them to sit up straight, I would have to do it too.  When I say, "I will have your quizzes back in two days," I will do it.

Amazingly, my students are always surprised to have to think about others.  One of our first assignments is to brainstorm why the procedures of the classroom are as they are.  I never tell them why...they tell us.

I was thinking about messages we send to our students and they send to us.  What if we all followed Acta Non Verba?! Our students see our actions every day.  They model what they do after what we do.  If we don't care about them, they won't care about us, or our subject.

I am one of those people who takes care of her personal appearance.  I want to look good every day.  One of my students once asked me why I dressed up every day.  I was surprised.  "Because I respect myself, you, and my job." I replied.  My students blinked curiously at me.  "Well..." one of them finally replied, "that makes sense!" I went on to explain that the message you send with your clothes and your actions, and your outside appearance.

How do you make your actions speak and back up your words? How do we show and not just tell?