The end of molasses classes : getting our kids unstuck : 101 extraordinary solutions for parents and teachers / Ron Clark. [print]

"A Touchstone book."

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.

part I. RCA's core principles and values : Teach children to believe in themselves and don't destroy the dream ; Not every child deserves a cookie ; Define your expectations and then raise the bar; The more you expect, the better the results will be ; Uplift other adults who play a role in the lives of our children ; Listen ; Give all that you have to your children even though you will often receive nothing in return ; Get to know your students in nonacademic settings ; Be selfless with your contributions to the team ; Make it happen. Don't give excuses; find solutions! ; Be excellent! ; Create moments that will have a lasting impact on children's lives ; Set the tone for a love of learning ; Treat every child as if he or she were your own ; Push yourself to be innovative beyond your imagination ; Know the name of every teacher, student, parent, administrator, and board member ; Use music to excite, motivate, and inspire ; Know your students ; Don't let opportunities pass you by, even if the time, funding, and circumstances aren't completely right ; Make learning magical ; Teach children that the good you do in the world comes back to you ; Teach children to embrace their personalities and present themselves with confidence in all situations ; Live with no fear ; Love what your students love, whether it's iCarly, Twilight, or the NFL ; Create lasting traditions.

part II. The role of the parent in the success of the child : Be prepared for the long haul if you want your child to succeed ; Don't be a helicopter parent. You can't come to their rescue forever ; Realize the power of gratitude and appreciation ; Remind children of their blessings and stress the value of a strong work ethic ; Nip it in the bud; small issues can grow into big problems ; Don't get your kid a video game system unless you are ready to be a prison guard ; Show them how to study; don't expect it to come naturally ; Realize that even very good children will sometimes lie ; Be patient ; See the potential in every child ; Punctuate the power of words ; Don't be a penny parent.

part III. Creating the right climate and culture : Welcome students and families to your school in style! Roll out the red carpet--literally! ; Believe that every child can learn, regardless of ethnicity, learning disabilities, emotional or behavior problems, or the economic situation of the family ; Open your doors to the parents ; Dress the part; attire matters! ; Make the most of every moment! There should be an urgency in education! ; Can the intercom ; Please don't interrupt a teacher's lesson to deliver a note, ask a question, or disturb the class ; Avoid sitting down while students are in the room ; Do not use cell phones or computers while the students are in the room, unless the device is part of the lesson being taught ; Make homework for home, not school ; Make sure you do your homework, too! ; Begin each class on fire! ; Increase teacher quality instead of reducing class size ; Set an electric tone on day one ; 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 ; Open up your home to your students ; Stay connected; have parents on speed dial ; Give children a chance to respond and don't give up so quickly ; Realize that kids need to move! Bring education to life with kinesthetic learning ; Use chants to create a supportive, encouraging, exciting environment! ; Get on the desk! ; Resolve to find your own red button ; Celebrate the beauty of their ancestries ; Show them examples of excellence ; Set the bar high for parents, too! ; Use an Amazing Race to bring learning to life! ; Love your eighth graders ; Don't give children second chances on tests and projects ; Encourage children to cheer for one another ; Paint the walls with positive memories. (If their faces are on the walls, they are less likely to pee on them!) ; Never read a speech ; Make eye contact with your classroom or audience ; Move around the room throughout the lesson and never remain in the same place ; Teach the students, not the board ; Exhibit the same energy you expect from your audience ; Smile ; Never allow students to begin a statement with "umm," "well," or "me and" ; Fake it to make it ; Use a djembe drum. Every classroom in the world needs one ; Don't put the blame on students unfairly ; Lift up your teachers. No, really, lift them up ; Have fun.

part IV. Reaching out beyond the classroom : Teach parents the correct way to tutor their children ; Build strong bonds with parents ; Ask the hard questions: "what do you want this school to be?" ; Join parents, teachers, and community members together to create "theme days" for the school ; Accept the fact that if kids like you all the time, then you're doing something wrong ; Recognize that the heart of the school is the teacher. Hire the best and never settle ; Always observe a teacher applicant teaching a lesson before offering him or her a job ; Teach children the history and symbolism of their home and school ; Remember that children are literal thinkers and, as adults, we really have to spell out what we mean ; Remember that the little things can make all the difference ; Provide lessons in life that will become lessons for life ; Uplift the students who have the furthest to go ; Allow teachers the freedom to make their rooms reflect their personalities; allow them to use color! ; Let the students shine ; Leave the jealousy at the door ; Realize that you never truly know all that is going on in the life of a child ; Raise our children to be global citizens ; Recognize the big cost of big dreams ; Reach out to the community to build a powerful network ; Once you have donors, work hard to keep them! ; Send thank-you letters that are hand-drawn, colorful, and grammatically correct ; If you need advice, ask for money. If you need money, ask for advice ; Make your goodbyes mean something -- What's next? The new dream.

COPYRIGHT NOT covered - Click this link to request copyright permission: