Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: "The Essential 55: Award Winning Educator's Rules
For Discovering The Successful Student in Every Child",
is a great book on educational success, ettiquite,
growth, achievement, learning, and communication
skills. This book is uplifting and positive. An
excellent book for students, parents, and educators. Diana: Author of: "Inpirational Wisdom For Love,
Beauty, And Richness"; "You Hold The Key To Riches
And Happiness"; (and) Sure Fire Ways To Make More
Money And Get A Better Job".
Rating:
Summary: Good Advice
Review: This would make an excellent modern-day version of Miss Manners, but I think it is better than that. It gives excellent advice in an approachable fashion with ideas that stick. Probably about half of it is geared towards students, with most of those in the latter half of the book. Probably less than one-sixth applies only to students -- the rest is good for all of us. Parents of younger children will appreciate the ideas and the constructive ways that they can be presented. Good idea for presents for those parents or parents-to-be. Most teachers should read this or at least skim it and read the sections of interest to them. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Home Schooling
Review: I am a mother of 4 beautiful children who I teach in my home, along with 3 other children in our neighborhood. I was recommended this book, and I have read it with all of my "students." I liked the book a great deal, but the children really enjoyed it more than I ever could have imagined. They have taken it upon themselves to carry out Mr. Clark's rules at the dinner table, in the way they talk to me, in the way they treat me as their mother and teacher and in their determination to complete their assignments. There is only one problem: The kids are bugging me to take them on trips like Mr. Clark did with his students! I guess I will have to combine rules #54 and #11 and make it happen! Thank you to Mr. Clark for writing a book that isn't only for teachers in the regular classroom!
Rating:
Summary: What a pleasure!
Review: What a pleasure to read such an uplifting and positive book about education. It was good to see that I have been on the right track with the way I have been teaching for the past 29 years. I am close to retirement and will not have the opportunity to try many of Mr. Clark's rules and ideas, but I do intend on passing this book on to all of the first year teachers at my school.
Rating:
Summary: Testing this book...
Review: Okay, I have now been in school for one full month with my 5th graders, and I have been using 45 of Mr. Clark's 55 rules (ten of them I didn't agree with or feel necessary.) Honestly, I didn't see much of a change in my students at first, but over the past 2 weeks I have seen an enormous change in the way they are treating me, doing their work on time, being postive and respecting each other. They are starting to call the rules by name and number and remind each other to use manners and focus on their work. This is my 10th year as a 5th grade teacher, and it is the first time I have seen such camaraderie and teamwork with any of my classes. Some of Mr. Clark's ideas seemed strange to me at first, but I tried them with a blind eye, and to my shock, they worked. So, thank you to Mr. Clark for making this one of the most enjoyable years I have had as a teacher, so far. (We still have 8 months to go!)
PS I too wondered if Mr. Clark was still teaching, and he is NO LONGER in the classroom. I was turned off by that, but then I read that he has started a school for students with learning disabilities where he is going to teach 8th grade. I would be interested in hearing how the 55 rules work for 8th graders! Good luck to you!
Rating: 
Summary: Essential 56- Don't take the money and run.
Review: A bunch of platitudes that any real teacher has taken to heart before ever picking up a piece of chalk. I notice that there isn't a section on how to deal with clueless administrators (all the better for them to buy sets of the book for their schools). Or standardized testing. Or the now high school age crack babies of the eighties. The guy taught 5 years or so in a couple of tough schools. Whoop de-doo! What's he doing now besides cashing checks and speaking to groups that aren't throwing spitballs? At least Jamie Escalante and Marva Collins got canned by their respective school divisions. This guy is about as provocative as a "Leave it to Beaver" episode.
Rating:
Summary: Ron should run the school systems
Review: Ron should run the school systems. This book should be required reading for every ed major. It covers the common sense knowledge all kids need - how to answer a question, how to answer the phone, etc. Why aren't the parents teaching this stuff? If not, I'm glad Ron is around. I'd love to see him in a school board budget meeting asking the members is they are accountable for those hard-earned taxes we send them. Ron, when is the follow up book?
Rating:
Summary: What's old is new again!
Review: Mr. Clark should be a nun (and that is about the highest compliment I can give him). Isn't it funny that critics of this book do not seem to understand that you, in fact, will never teach children critical thinking skills, top-notch logic, reading, math ---well, you name it --- unless children are paying attention and orderly. I have watched amazed for years while public schools have ignored the multiple credible studies that prove children behave and perform better in school when they are in uniform (oh, my, don't want to hurt their egos and self-esteem, do we?; don't want to quash their individuality, do we?). Of course, our first chore is to instill manners and discipline. And it isn't just "bad" kids who act up in the classroom -- even normally well-behaved children can be atrocious little monsters in a setting where "everyone" is doing it and getting away with it. Right on, Mr. Clark!
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: I am a third year teacher, and when I first heard my school had adopted "The Essential 55" as school-wide reading, I was not thrilled. I have to say, however, that using Mr. Clark's rules in my classroom has made a WORLD of difference. I was a definite skeptic, but this year my students are FAR more well behaved, polite and on task. Watching the transformation of not only my class but the entire school has been amazing. I still doubt that these rules would work as well in the home for parents, but since I am not a parent, I guess it is possible. The rules for the classroom, however, are solid and effective. On a side note.. The best part of the book is a story about a negative teacher called Mrs. Bitterson. I had to stop reading the story 3 times because I was laughing so hard. Mr. Clark put an onion in her desk and the eventual travels of the onion are quite amusing. The best part of the story is that Mr. Clark learned a valuable lesson about getting along with others. There is a similar negative teacher at our school, and when we read the book we all thought about her. Well, she has been surrounded by so much positive energy and offers to do collarborative projects (Mr. Clark's advice) that she has turned around and is really getting into the swing of things. She is even smiling. Now that is impressive! Thanks for the book Mr. Clark!
Rating:
Summary: Educate teachersm students and parents to be their best
Review: This book provides 55 practical strategies for students to be successful in and out of school. Ron Clark teaches etiquette, self-respect and consideration for others. Mr. Clark is a brilliant teacher who has his heart and mind in the right place. I also highly recommend Optimal Thinking: How to be Your Best Self, by Dr. Rosalene Glickman. Optimal Thinking is taught in schools throughout the world to empower students to be their best, emotionally self-reliant, optimize situations and achieve their goals. These books are first-rate.
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