Rating: 
Summary: The Essential 55 Is a Necessity For All Teachers
Review: Having an organized classroom that is conducive to learning with well-mannered, productive students is a dream come true for all teachers in America. As a future teacher, I am always looking for new ideas to model my classroom after. I highly recommend The Essential 55 to a teacher who wants to create an atmosphere where his or her students succeed. This book is a necessity for all student teachers. Ron Clark wrote a list of rules that he felt was necessary for children to know. The Essential 55 can be used as a guide to teach students structure, courtesy and respect, and responsibility.
According to Ron Clark, all students want and need structure and discipline. Rules help give order to their lives. As a result, there will be consistency and fairness in their classroom. They will know what to expect every day so they will feel safe. Ron Clark believes students should follow clearly stated rules. Rule 21 deals with following certain classroom protocols such as staying in their seat and speaking only when they have permission. Students also feel safe when their teacher cares for them. Rule 48 addresses bullies and the teacher's role as a protector of his or her students. The rules are explained in a caring yet no nonsense way. Equally important, the teacher is encouraged to build a relationship with his or her students. Students will work hard for a teacher that they know personally and have bonded with.
The Essential 55 rules advocate that every child should be courteous and respectful. Common courtesies or manners and acts of kindness seem to be a forgotten art in today's world. Ron Clark directly teaches manners that used to be taught at home. Rule 29 states specific table manners for students to use in and out of school. A number of rules mandate that students show respect towards others such as opening doors and saying excuse me. Rule 4 requires that students help create a supportive environment in the classroom by giving positive feedback to fellow classmates' ideas, thoughts, and opinions. Rule 5 deals with children showing respect for themselves by being humble about their accomplishments.
Ron Clark believes that every pupil should be responsible for what they do and say. Many children do not see the cause and effect relationship of their actions and the resulting consequences. The Essential 55 stresses the significance of being successful and dependable students. Rules 14 and 16 establish a routine for writing sentences and completing homework. These rules set parameters to help all the students become literate and help them to meet deadlines. Rules 49 through 55 emphasize the importance of growing as a person and being true to yourself. A vital role of an exemplary teacher is to build his or her students' character and self-esteem so they can reach their full potential. When children have confidence in what they say and do, there is no limit to what they can achieve.
The Essential 55 can be applied, in the classroom, to teach children discipline, manners, and accountability. Ron Clark offers teachers specific procedures to establish a warm and caring environment with guidelines for proper behavior. These ideas may be extremely helpful to new or struggling teachers without a lot of experience. He also expects his pupils to be considerate of others and to follow proper social etiquette. Hopefully, this means there will be more kind and courteous adults to be examples of how to act for future generations. Ron Clark`s methods insist every child must be liable for their own actions and that they should believe in themselves. I feel it is vital for students to learn to be reliable and successful so they can be productive adults. If every teacher taught these rules to their students, the world would be a better place.
Rating:
Summary: Part of what should be taught in all schools
Review: "The Essential 55: An Award-Winning Educator's Rules for Discovering the Successful Student in Every Child" is a collection of Ron Clark's 55 rules that he uses every day in his teaching career. Why should his rules matter? Well for one thing he has won the Disney Teacher of the Year Award as a top educator in the United States. Ron Clark attributes much of his success to making sure that the students follow the 55 rules. Many of these rules are common courtesies; others are good manners, ethics, or even good hygiene. These may seem simple but people react to you differently when you display good manners and this positive feedback creates a better self-image and other positive side effects. These are not just rules for children and students but should be followed by everyone including adults. The rules are also applicable to a wide variety of adult situations. Use the rules at home with your child and help him or her to mature with good manners and develop a positive view of life that will follow them everywhere. "The Essential 55" is a highly recommended read for everyone.
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Summary: The Secret to Being a Great Teach Revealed!
Review: A must read for any parent, teacher or coach. This book is loaded with great advice on how to become a more effective teacher. Ron is not just doing it for the money, for him teaching is about living his passion. Fulfilling his purpose on this world. I wish there were more like him. We need more teachers who are teaching out of love. That's why he is so effective. He creates a bond with the students that go beyond the classroom. (Like you can see-he even went to his kids birthday parties over the weekend.) The stories in this book are awesome. One of my favorites is how he took his class to the White House! Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated
Rating: 
Summary: Half-Baked Cookies
Review: Better pour yourself a tall glass of milk to drink as you read this book. There are a lot of cookies in it. And a lot of half-baked ideas. My grade-school teachers failed me. They didn't take me to any basketball games or the White House, let alone Disney World. And they never baked any cookies. Somehow, I learned how to diagram sentences. I memorized prepositions, state capitals, times-tables and the names of not a few presidents. And I learned to appreciate the Flight of the Bumblebees and the Valkyries, as well as the Wright Brothers and the Mercury Seven. Along the way, I learned manners and how to play fair. Everything I needed to know I learned in Kindergarten, and first grade, second, third, fourth . . . Well, you get the idea. I went on to graduate, worked in an assortment of part-time jobs while attending college, and ultimately became a teacher. My degree plan didn't include baking cookies. What a cool teacher! He takes his kids to restaurants, basketball games, bowing alleys - all on a teacher's salary, for doing what they're supposed to do. Becoming a 5th-grade teacher was a natural transition from baking donuts at Dunkin' Donuts to baking cookies for class. Lots of cookies. Take Rule 16. Ron Clark bakes cookies for the class after the tenth day of perfect submission of homework. What if all the answers are wrong? He doesn't address this. But if one kid doesn't turn in the work, there is no reward: "I use peer pressure," he shamelessly admits: "I let the class lay it on thick. I saw them glare at him . . . I watched them fuss at him at lunch time." More of that peer pressure strategy worked for him when he wouldn't allow anyone to eat until a girl admitted she cut in line. It's a half-baked idea in a book like a half-baked cookie that winds up in every batch. Ron is not above exploiting a child's credulity. He makes a video for the substitute, and the day before he's out he meets with a couple of kids and swear them to secrecy. "I tell one kid that when I say I can see the kids in class, I want him to say, 'Mr. Clark, can you really see us?' . . . It always freaks out the students, and I have even shocked a few substitutes here and there." Must be another one of those half-baked cookies. Ron had some bad experiences at Dunkin' Donuts. Customers didn't look into his soulful eyes as he served their donuts. He drew the lesson to "never talk to waiters or waitresses as if they are servants . . . you do not want to be on the bad side of a waiter." Isn't a restaurant part of what's called the service industry, and employees called servants? Since when does treating such employees as servants imply treating them with disrespect? He's paying your salary, after all. And your tip, if you're a good servant. Every teacher has quirks, such as Clark's Doritos Rule #47. Okay, he hates Doritos. Me, I hate Corn Nuts. Ron doesn't have much use for property rights, either: "I noticed that one girl had a bag of Doritos and she had a smirk on her face. I quickly took the bag from her, walked over to a trash can, and smashed the bag between my hands. . . " Ron can't make up his mind if he wants the little kids to like him or not. On one hand he says, "Sacrificing a little dignity can go a long way when you are trying to win over students." On the other, he has a First Day of School Speech that says, "I'm not here to be your friend, I've got more friends than I can handle, who needs you anyway, blah, blah, blah." And then he asks, "Do I want the kids to like me? Yes, it is absolutely necessary." Necessary to whom? The kids? You? I've got news for you, Ron - not everyone is going to like you. Not in the classroom, and not in the real world. You have a winsome personality, no doubt, and you go through the trouble to teach good manners, which a lot of people manifestly lack, but I didn't go into education to watch basketball games with my students, or bake cookies. Be sure to wipe off the cookie crumbs when you finish reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Half-Baked Cookies
Review: Better pour yourself a tall glass of milk to drink as you read this book. There are a lot of cookies in it. And a lot of half-baked ideas. My grade-school teachers failed me. They didn't take me to any basketball games or the White House, let alone Disney World. And they never baked any cookies. Somehow, I learned how to diagram sentences. I memorized prepositions, state capitals, times-tables and the names of not a few presidents. And I learned to appreciate the Flight of the Bumblebees and the Valkyries, as well as the Wright Brothers and the Mercury Seven. Along the way, I learned manners and how to play fair. Everything I needed to know I learned in Kindergarten, and first grade, second, third, fourth . . . Well, you get the idea. I went on to graduate, worked in an assortment of part-time jobs while attending college, and ultimately became a teacher. My degree plan didn't include baking cookies. What a cool teacher! He takes his kids to restaurants, basketball games, bowing alleys - all on a teacher's salary, for doing what they're supposed to do. Becoming a 5th-grade teacher was a natural transition from baking donuts at Dunkin' Donuts to baking cookies for class. Lots of cookies. Take Rule 16. Ron Clark bakes cookies for the class after the tenth day of perfect submission of homework. What if all the answers are wrong? He doesn't address this. But if one kid doesn't turn in the work, there is no reward: "I use peer pressure," he shamelessly admits: "I let the class lay it on thick. I saw them glare at him . . . I watched them fuss at him at lunch time." More of that peer pressure strategy worked for him when he wouldn't allow anyone to eat until a girl admitted she cut in line. It's a half-baked idea in a book like a half-baked cookie that winds up in every batch. Ron is not above exploiting a child's credulity. He makes a video for the substitute, and the day before he's out he meets with a couple of kids and swear them to secrecy. "I tell one kid that when I say I can see the kids in class, I want him to say, 'Mr. Clark, can you really see us?' . . . It always freaks out the students, and I have even shocked a few substitutes here and there." Must be another one of those half-baked cookies. Ron had some bad experiences at Dunkin' Donuts. Customers didn't look into his soulful eyes as he served their donuts. He drew the lesson to "never talk to waiters or waitresses as if they are servants . . . you do not want to be on the bad side of a waiter." Isn't a restaurant part of what's called the service industry, and employees called servants? Since when does treating such employees as servants imply treating them with disrespect? He's paying your salary, after all. And your tip, if you're a good servant. Every teacher has quirks, such as Clark's Doritos Rule #47. Okay, he hates Doritos. Me, I hate Corn Nuts. Ron doesn't have much use for property rights, either: "I noticed that one girl had a bag of Doritos and she had a smirk on her face. I quickly took the bag from her, walked over to a trash can, and smashed the bag between my hands. . . " Ron can't make up his mind if he wants the little kids to like him or not. On one hand he says, "Sacrificing a little dignity can go a long way when you are trying to win over students." On the other, he has a First Day of School Speech that says, "I'm not here to be your friend, I've got more friends than I can handle, who needs you anyway, blah, blah, blah." And then he asks, "Do I want the kids to like me? Yes, it is absolutely necessary." Necessary to whom? The kids? You? I've got news for you, Ron - not everyone is going to like you. Not in the classroom, and not in the real world. You have a winsome personality, no doubt, and you go through the trouble to teach good manners, which a lot of people manifestly lack, but I didn't go into education to watch basketball games with my students, or bake cookies. Be sure to wipe off the cookie crumbs when you finish reading this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Ron Clark is amazing!
Review: I had the wrong idea when I started this book: It had been heralded as one of those "life lessons" books that people of all ages can learn from. And in that context, the book's rigid rule set is far too simpleton for the complex world in which we live.
However, once I started reading the book in its proper context, that is, as a guide on how to educate children, I found it much more enjoyable. And my admiration for Ron Clark increased with each passing page. This guy is incredible! If only my grade school teachers had been as energetic and as innovative as he is.
And, frankly, his results speak for themselves: His students love him, their test scores are high, and they do their homework -- and all of this in some of the most challenging school conditions in the country.
A must read if you have young children, and an interesting read if you don't have children but are interested in how one man overcame the trials and tribulations of early childhood education.
Rating:
Summary: I like, thought it wasn't so OK
Review: I picked up the irritating audio version of this book: the author's voice sounds exactly, I mean *exactly*, like the teacher in South Park. I don't know if this was in print, but he also used the phrase "I like ...." (for example, 'I like thought it was a good rule') a million times. If I didn't know better I'd say a 13 year old wrote this. His tone and pace were literally manic throughout - too many of those sugary cookies?
The arrogance was astounding: typical newbie teacher that thinks he's the one that's going to make the difference in the lives of kids no other teacher was ever able to before. I have a junior in high school and like another reviewer, always pick up anything that may shed even a sliver of new light on how to help him be a better student. Not only was it for younger children, but there was virtually no suggestions on how to be a better academic student. Trained seal, yes, but not a better scoring student.
As was mentioned earlier, a lot of these 'rules' would not be allowed in our school. Peer pressure is greatly discouraged - teachers, in fact, are not allowed under any circumstances whatsoever to discipline the entire class for the misbehavior of one student. This may have stemmed from the suicides by 'perfect' students who received detention because of other kids or whose straight A's were downgraded because the whole class was punished.
Many of our friends send their children to private religious schools where rules similar to these are enforced. In each and every case, when the child went out into the world - where other people don't follow these rules - they have either gone wild or curled-up into themselves. Using peer pressure and making cookies are easy - taking the time to know and respond to each child's individual needs is not. He took the easy way out.
He also mentioned quite a few times how much of his own money (hundreds of dollars a month) he spends on some of these 'innovative' teachniques. I'd like to see a book on his current teaching style 10 years from now after he has a mortgage and kids of his own.
I think you have to be nominated to become a Disney teacher but I wonder how he knows the kids like him? It may have been peer pressure that made the whole class tell Disney how much they loved him. I hoped they clapped appropriately. Teachers like this goody two-shoes are what's at the heart of all our educational problems.
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Summary: This is a great book!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. As a young teacher, I "stole"some of Ron Clark's rules. Of course, I adapted them to my private school classroom. I think that it lays a wonder framework to any classroom. It is important to lay down the law so that there are no suprises during the year. I created a classroom procedures notebook for the students and parents that are in my classroom. It was a very inspirational book. I am reading the follow up boo on important characteristics of teachers.
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Summary: Heed this book's advice and improve your spelling skills.
Review: Like most books on the subject, this offers some useful advice along with less-conventional thinking. I also suggest Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as a supplementary read to reviewers like Library Lover, who may not be fond of this book. Perhaps you, too, could learn the proper spelling of -irrelevant- after years of teaching our children!
Rating: 
Summary: This is a teacher?
Review: Simply put, the stupidest, most irrelevent book on the classroom ever printed. P.S. I've been teaching 22 years.
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