The End of Molasses Classes Getting Our Kids Unstuck--101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers

by Clark, Ron

• ISBN13: 9781451639742
• ISBN10: 1451639740
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-04-17
• Publisher: Touchstone

Summary

Award-winning teacher and bestselling author Clark ("The Essential 55") presents a riveting new book providing rules for parents and teachers to help kids succeed in school. (Education/Teaching)

Author Biography

Ron Clark has been named "American Teacher of the Year" by Disney and was Oprah Winfrey's pick as her first "Phenomenal Man." He founded The Ron Clark Academy, which more than 10,000 educators from around the world have visited for professional development.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. xvii
RCA's Core Principles and Values	p. 1
Teach children to believe in themselves and don't destroy the dream.	p. 3
Not every child deserves a cookie.	p. 7
Define your expectations and then raise the bar; the more you expect, the better the results will be.	p. 11
Uplift other adults who play a role in the lives of our children.	p. 20
Listen.	p. 25
Give all that you have to your children even though you will often receive nothing in return.	p. 29
Get to know your students in nonacademic settings.	p. 34
Be selfless with your contributions to the team.	p. 39
Make it happen. Don't give excuses; find solutions!	p. 43
Be excellent!	p. 46
Create moments that will have a lasting impact on children's lives.	p. 52
Set the tone for a love of learning.	p. 58
Treat every child as if he or she were your own.	p. 61
Push yourself to be innovative beyond your imagination.	p. 63
Know the name of every teacher, student, parent, administrator, and board member.	p. 68
Use music to excite, motivate, and inspire.	p. 71
Know your students.	p. 76
Don't let opportunities pass you by, even if the time, funding, and circumstances aren't completely right.	p. 80
Make learning magical.	p. 84
Teach children that the good you do in the world comes back to you.	p. 91
Teach children to embrace their personalities and present themselves with confidence in all situations.	p. 95
Live with no fear.	p. 100
Love what your students love, whether it's iCarly, Twilight, or the NFL.	p. 107
Create lasting traditions.	p. 110
The Role of the Parent in the Success of the Child	p. 115
Be prepared for the long haul if you want your child to succeed.	p. 117
Don't be a helicopter parent. You can't come to their rescue forever.	p. 121
Realize the power of gratitude and appreciation.	p. 127
Remind children of their blessings and stress the value of a strong work ethic.	p. 131
Nip it in the bud; small issues can grow into big problems.	p. 136
Don't get your kid a video game system unless you are ready to be a prison guard.	p. 140
Show them how to study; don't expect it to come naturally.	p. 143
Realize that even very good children will sometimes lie.	p. 147
Be patient.	p. 150
See the potential in every child.	p. 153
Punctuate the power of words.	p. 156
Don't be a Penny Parent.	p. 157
Creating the Right Climate and Culture	p. 161
Welcome students and families to your school in style! Roll out the red carpet-literally!	p. 163
Believe that every child can learn, regardless of ethnicity, learning disabilities, emotional or behavior problems, or the economic situation of the family.	p. 168
Open your doors to the parents.	p. 172
Dress the part; attire matters!	p. 173
Make the most of every moment! There should be an urgency in education!	p. 176
Can the intercom.	p. 178
Please don't interrupt a teacher's lesson to deliver a note, ask a question, or disturb the class.	p. 178
Avoid sitting down while students are in the room.	p. 179
Do not use cell phones or computers while the students are in the room, unless the device is part of the lesson being taught.	p. 180
Make homework for home, not school.	p. 181
Make sure you do your homework, too!	p. 182
Begin each class on fire!	p. 183
Increase teacher quality instead of reducing class size.	p. 184
Set an electric tone on Day One.	p. 185
Don't constantly stress about test scores. We have to stop sending the message to our students that the purpose of learning is to take a test.	p. 194
Open up your home to your students.	p. 196
Stay connected; have parents on speed dial.	p. 199
Give children a chance to respond and don't give up so quickly.	p. 200
Realize that kids need to move! Bring education to life with kinesthetic learning.	p. 204
Use chants to create a supportive, encouraging, exciting environment!	p. 206
Get on the desk! '	p. 209
Resolve to find your own Red Button.	p. 214
Celebrate the beauty of their ancestries.	p. 215
Show them examples of excellence.	p. 217
Set the bar high for parents, too!	p. 218
Use an Amazing Race to bring learning to life!	p. 219
Love your eighth graders.	p. 222
Don't give children second chances on tests and projects.	p. 225
Encourage children to cheer for one another.	p. 227
Paint the walls with positive memories. (If their faces are on the walls, they are less likely to pee on them!)	p. 231
Never read a speech.	p. 233
Make eye contact with your classroom or audience.	p. 237
Move around the room throughout the lesson and never remain in the same place.	p. 238
Teach the students, not the board.	p. 239
Exhibit the same energy you expect from your audience.	p. 239
Smile.	p. 240
Never allow students to begin a statement with "Umm," "Well," or "Me and."	p. 241
Fake it to make it.	p. 243
Use a djembe drum. Every classroom in the world needs one.	p. 244
Don't put the blame on students unfairly.	p. 246
Lift up your teachers. No, really, lift them up.	p. 248
Have fun.	p. 249
Reaching Out Beyond the Classroom	p. 253
Teach parents the correct way to tutor their children.	p. 255
Build strong bonds with parents.	p. 257
Ask the hard questions-"What do you want this school to be?"	p. 260
Join parents, teachers, and community members together to create "theme days" for the school.	p. 264
Accept the fact that if kids like you all the time, then you're doing something wrong.	p. 267
Recognize that the heart of the school is the teacher. Hire the best and never settle.	p. 269
Always observe a teacher applicant teaching a lesson before offering him or her a job.	p. 271
Teach children the history and symbolism of their home and school.	p. 275
Remember that children are literal thinkers and, as adults, we really have to spell out what we mean.	p. 277
Remember that the little things can make all the difference.	p. 280
Provide lessons in life that will become lessons for life.	p. 284
Uplift the students who have the furthest to go.	p. 285
Allow teachers the freedom to make their rooms reflect their personalities-allow them to use color!	p. 287
Let the students shine.	p. 291
Leave the jealousy at the door.	p. 294
Realize that you never truly know all that is going on in the life of a child.	p. 296
Raise our children to be global citizens.	p. 297
Recognize the big cost of big dreams.	p. 301
Reach out to the community to build a powerful network.	p. 305
Once you have donors, work hard to keep them!	p. 307
Send fhank-you letters that are hand-drawn, colorful, and grammatically correct.	p. 312
If you need advice, ask for money. If you need money, ask for advice.	p. 313
Make your good-byes mean something.	p. 314
What's Next? The New Dream	p. 318
Acknowledgments	p. 321
Ron Clark Academy Educator Training	p. 323
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.