The Essential 55

Well we have now come to the end of this wonderful book with rules 44-55. 

Mr. Clark has created these 55 rules that are not limited to being incorporated within the classroom but in everyday life. I will be picking 5 rules to talk about. I do encourage everyone to pick up a copy of this book whether you want to be a teacher or not.

 First rule I want to discuss is rule number Fifty: "Be positive and enjoy life. Some things are just aren't worth getting upset over. Keep everything in perspective and focus on the good in your life." The story Mr. Clark tells of his parents and their car breaking down really stuck with me. I have been known for my temper which is extremely bad. Little things can cause me to become aggressive and spoil my entire day. It is also said that we tend to really focus on all the negative instead of the positive. I have always tried to change this about my personality. So when Mr. Clark says that his parents "have always had that type of attitude, no matter what problems we faced, large or small, and they have never gotten negative or disgruntled over issues that are out of their control."(Page.143) I feel like I could really incorporate this rule in my life. I get so worked up over stuff that shouldn't even matter that I end up forgetting to enjoy all the beautiful thing this world has to offer. 

 My second important rule is rule number Fifty-one: "Live so that you will never have regrets. If there is something you want to do, do it! Never let fear, doubt, or other obstacles stand in your way. If there is something you want to do, go for it and don't stop until you make it happen. If there is something you want to be, do whatever is necessary in order to live out that dream." This rule I believe should be posted in every classroom. You should always encourage others to live out their dreams. The story Mr. Clark tells in this chapter makes you really see how quickly life changes. He talks about a family member he never met and how he was always scared to contact them but desperately wanted to meet them. Finally he made plans to go and see the person on Monday but unfortunately, the unknown family member died the Sunday before they were suppose to meet. Mr. Clark says that although he didn't know this person they did teach him the most important lesson in life. " He taught me one of the greatest lessons of my life, and this is to live so that I won't regret my choices or decisions."(Page.145) Mr. Clark regretted deeply not meeting this person and waiting so long to contact them. It does make you think about life a whole lot differently and not doing the thing  you want because of fear. He says that he wants his kids "To make the most out of their lives and not let anything stand in the way of their dreams."(Page.145) 

 Third rule is rule number Fifty-two: "Accept that you are going to make mistakes. Learn from them and move on." For this rule Mr. Clark has two stories that he tells us. The first one is of a young boy Jermaine who he put in a partition and forgot about until 2 hours after school had been let out. Jermaine had fallen asleep behind the partition and knocked it down causing Mr. Clark to be alerted of the boys presence. He then drove Jermaine home and promised to never place anyone behind the partition ever agin. The next one is of a conflict he had with a teacher named Mrs. Bitterson. She would always complain of the noise that came from Mr. Clarks classroom. Somehow this turned into a prank war between the two. Except he soon found out that the only reason she would do this was because she wished to teach like him but sadly didn't know how. Mr. Clark felt so bad and he realized something very important. "An additional detriment of not getting along with coteachers is the impact it has on the students."(Page.151) You see Mr. Clark could of gone his whole life or at least a long time feeling guilty for both of these incidents. Instead he chose to learn from them and become a better person from letting these things go. 

 Next is rule number Fifty-four: "Carpe diem. You only live today once, so don't waste it. Life is made up of special moments, many of which happen when caution is thrown to the wind and people take action and seize the day."  Mr. Clark has a point life is made up of special moments that many people don't even take note of. These last few rules have talked about how important it is to live your life to the fullest without having fear. I love the part where Mr. Clark says "How wonderful it would be to live an entire life with such freedom to try new things, experience the unknown, and face our fears."(Page.158) 

 Finally we have rule number Fifty-five: " Be the best person you can be." Many people try to hard to be something they are not. They end up losing themselves in the process of being something they so desperately believe they are. There are many factors that can cause us to forget to put this rule in effect. According to Mr. Clark there are seven things you need in life at all times. He says "Always make sure there are seven things in your life at all times: Laughter, family, adventure, good food, challenge, change, and the quest for knowledge."(Page.159) I believe that having these seven things can help you to become the best person you can be. 

Here I found 4 ways to focus more on the positive in life.

The Essential 55

Today I am going to be talking about my top 5 rules out of the 10 rules numbers 33-43. 

  My first top rule is rule number thirty-four: "whenever you are offered food, whether it be on a buffet or treats in class, never take more than your fair share. You never want to be greedy and try to get more than you should, not only because it is wasteful, but also because it is disrespectful to others when you do not leave enough for them." This rule really stuck with me especially the story about Sabrina. He is right this rule is hard to enforce and it's especially harder to enforce when the kids are hungry. Kids love to have a lot of whatever it is they are grabbing. Yet it does look bad when you grab so much food that no one else gets any. Mr. Clark is right " it takes a while to teach them to sacrifice their desire for the biggest piece in order to be respectful to others." (Page. 109) 

  My next favorite rule is rule number thirty-five: whether we are in school or on a field trip, if someone drops something, pick it up and hand it back to them. Even if they are closer to the object, it is only polite to make the gesture of bending down to retrieve the item." The story that Me. Clark told to go along with this rule was great. This girl Jocelyn sees this lady drop some trash on the ground and she follows and yells at the woman that she had dropped something. Mr. Clark says " well, picking up someone else's trash isn't exactly what I intended, but hey, I think it sent an important message to that lady nonetheless."(Page.111) Although this seems like such a small gesture but it does go a long way in gaining respect. 

  Next is rule number thirty-six: "If you approach a door and someone is following you, hold the door. If the door opens by pulling, pull it open, stand the side, and allow the other person to pass through first, then you can walk through. If the door opens by pushing, hold the door after you pass through." Many people are so surprised now a days when you hold open the door for them. It seems like people are so surprised that young people are being taught some form of manners. I find it so adorable when Mr. Clark says "The kids want to know just what is expected of them and how to show respect."(Page.112) So many young people are so busy that even holding a door for someone could become a chore rather than a nice gesture. It's nice to see Mr. Clark trying to instill these manners into these young kids. 

  The next important rule that stuck out to me is rule number thirty-eight:" When we are on a field trip, there will be no talking as we enter a building. We will enter the building so quietly that no one will even notice that we are there. This rule applies to entering any place where people are gathered, whether it be the movies, a church, a theater, or any other venue." This rule seems so important because although it seems like common sense when kids get together that flies out of the window. When you see a group of kids you immediately think "Oh man it's going to get so loud in here." Mr. Clark hopes to eventually change that stereotypical way of thinking when we see kids walk in somewhere. I especially like how he says " It is easier to tell them what you expect from them before you are on the trip than to wait until you have arrived at your destination."(Page.114) Now I have to whole heartedly agree with this because when you are at the place the emotions are overwhelming. This means that they will all be so excited and begin to get loud because of all the excitement going on around them. I think it's important to establish some ground rules before arriving to your destination and maybe even before the big day. 

  My final rule that is important is rule number forty: "During an assembly, do not speak and do not look around and try to get the attention of your friends in other classes. We must uphold an image that shows we have our act together!" Like Mr. Clark states assemblies are great for students but a nightmare for teachers. See students love them because it's time away from class and a way to communicate with friends. For teachers it's a bunch of kids talking and not paying attention and a disruption in your lesson plan. I love how Mr. Clark role plays with the students on how to behave during an assembly. He says "I then go and sit at different places in the auditorium, calling individual students' names, throwing paper at them, and doing whatever I can to get their attention."(page.118) This is great Mr. Clark tells them his expectations and even role plays with them how he expects his rules to be used before they actually put the rule in use. 

Recently I learned about a flipped classroom. So I did some research and it seems like such a great idea. If you would like to know more about it read this article to get a better idea.

The Essential 55

After reading rules 22-32 I have a few that I find important. These are just 5 that I thing are important out of the 10 but of course I love all of the rules Mr. Clark has come up with.

  Rule twenty three: Quickly learn the name of other teachers in the school and greet them by saying things like, "Good morning, Mrs. Graham," or "Good afternoon, Ms. Ortiz. That is a very pretty dress." This rule is the most important one to me from these rules. It just seems like people don't seem to care about anyone around them anymore. Since a young age I have been taught to always greet everyone in the room before doing anything else. I remember my aunts always commenting on how polite that was and always tried to implement that onto their own children. I thought that introducing yourself and greeting them was something everyone. Mr. Clark asks his students to do this because he thinks it "Makes for a more comfortable and enjoyable place to live and work, and they will be far happier in those environments."(Page 80)
  My next favorite rule is rule number twenty five: We will often have visitors to our school. If someone is coming to visit our class, I will send to students to the front door of the building. You will have a sign welcoming the person. When our visitor arrive we will often have visitors to our school. If someone is coming to visit our class, I will send to students to the front door of the building. You will have a sign welcoming the person. When our visitor arrives,  you will shake hands, tell him or her who you are, and welcome the person to our school. You will then take the visitor on the small tour of the building before bringing him or her to the classroom." This rule is just so nice to do. It makes the visitor feel a lot more at ease knowing a little about the place and having people waiting for them to welcome them. Like Mr. Clark said "Walking into a school can be especially intimidating when you don't know where to go or who you need to speak with."(Page 87) one story that stuck with me was Mr. Clark's story of  when he was in high school how he was terrified of his first day since he had just moved. His parents assured him that he would be assigned a buddy to show him around. Sadly though that never happened which resulted in him being all alone looking from class to class. He was dreading lunchtime since he didn't know anyone and would end up sitting alone. Thankfully though he was partnered up with a nice girl in class named Anita Cahoon who told him he would be eating lunch with her and her friends. Mr. Clark has never forgotten that frightening experience of not having anyone show him around or welcome him.
  The next important rule is rule number twenty six: Do not save seats in the lunchroom. If someone wants to sit down, let him or her. Do not try to exclude anyone. We are a family, and we must treat one another with respect and kindness. I just want to start off by saying I am a firm supporter of how Mr. Clark emphasizes to the students how they are a family. So many times I have seen students being excluded at lunch, in class, or at recess. This plays a huge role in the development of a child being excluded can cause many problems later on in life. When you let students know you are a family of makes it easier for them to be able to come to you if they ever need help. I do like how Mr. Clark says " I tell them that it is only human not to like everyone, but that I make sure to treat each person with kindness and respect regardless of my feelings."(Page 88) Students seem to think "Wellif I don't like so and so I'm just going to not be nice to them." that is not how we should handle the situation. Sadly kids are not the only ones doing this I have seen many adults do this to being disrespectful towards someone because they don't like them.
  Another great rule is rule number twenty eight: "If  you have a question about your homework, you may call me. If I am not there to answer the phone, please leave a message in the following manner: "Hi Mr. Clark, this is ________________. I need help with the _________ homework. You can call me back until ___:00. Thank you." There is no need to leave this message fourteen times. Now this rule is just terrific for many reasons. First being that many students use the excuse they didn't understand as a way to not do their homework. This gets rid of that excuse since they have your number. Next by giving students your number you are building trust with them. If they are ever in trouble or for any reason they can contact you for help at any moment. As Mr. Clark points out "Many kids are embarrassed to admit that they need help."(Page 92) I have experienced this first hand so many times. I was always shy or ashamed to raise my hand and ask for help. I thought that I was the only one who couldn't seem to understand what was happening. By giving students your number those who are shy and don't want to ask questions can now do so. This will in turn help them academically and to build a stronger bond with you.
  Finally the other extremely important rule is rule number thirty one:  when we stay in a hotel room, it is appropriate to leave a tip on the pillow for the hotel workers were responsible for cleaning the room after state. 2 to 3 dollars per night is an appropriate amount, depending on the cost of the room. I have always heard of leaving tips in a restaurant but never of a hotel room like Mr. Clark points out in the beginning of the page. When I was younger my mother worked cleaning people's house and car dealerships at night and she would often bring me along having no other place to leave me. I remember we would go to around three car dealerships and two houses all in one night. My mother by the end of the night would be exhausted. Sadly all she would get would be around 100 dollars or less per house and around 130 for the dealerships. They never thanked her for all her hard work or even tipped her. She worked holidays and even on her birthdays and most of the people she worked for didn't even know her name. In this rule Mr. Clark says "You should be kind to everyone and show appreciation to those who do things for you, and in return it can bring only good things to you."(Page 103) After reading this it got me to think that many people today are so accustomed to not appreciating what they have. Mr. Clark wants his students to be the kindest most respectful people you have ever met. Except to him this is just how he was raised and is trying to show these kids what it's like. This book is one that I believe everyone should read. It teaches you a lot about the world around us and how to be more respectful even if you don't like it.

I found this wonderful website with 10 ways to be more appreciative you should go check it out.

The Essential 55

Today we will be discussing rules 11-21 from The Essential 55 by Ron Clark.
  Out of thes rules my favorite would have to be number eleven: Suprise others by performing random acts of kindness. Go out of your way to do something surprisingly kind and generous for someone at least once a month. It's nice that Mr. Clark wants his students to get in the habit of doing things without expecting something in return. Like  Mr. Clark says " I feel, however, that the best time to give someone a nice suprise is when it isn't expected. That way, the person knows you didn't do it because of obligation, you did it because you wanted to."(Page 29) Doing something nice for someone is a great way to make them happy. You know what I don't like about doing random acts of kindness in the society. It's the fact that everyone must brag about how they are doing something nice hoping to gain popularity from it. If you are doing something nice why must the whole world now about this? It seems to me like you are doing it for your benefit of gaining the attention of the media.
  Another rule I found important would be number sixteen: Homework will be turned in each day for each subject by every student with no exception. Why is this so important you may be asking yourself? Well I'll tell you why you see we are all so use to making up excuses for why we didn't do something. It's almost becoming a habit of not turning in something but coming up with a great excuse. I like how Mr. Clark says " I want them to learn to be on time and proficient at a young age."(Page 56) Like I have mentioned before all these rules Mr. Clark has instilled in his students are useful not just for school but for their futures. I also think it's great how he's rewarding the students for getting their work in on time and motivating them to continue to do so.
  Rule number 18: You will make every effort to be as organized as possible. This rule seems like it would be hard for me personally. I try to be organized but when I'm in a rush there is just no way for me to take the time to place things in the correct order. Although Mr. Clark would take dramatic measures to insure students would be orgainized he explained to them why he does it. He tells them " It is not done in anger or to humiliate in any way; it is done to to teach."(Page 63)  At the end of this rule Mr. Clark states " It is always best to be specific about your expectations."(Page 66) What I find intriguing about this is that many of these books for teachers make it a point to stress this. For example, Mr. Wong also makes it known that this is very important to make sure your students know your expectations. In this book Mr. Clark has many rules and they are all very specific in how he expects them to be accomplished and I find it interesting.
  An important rule that would follow would be number nineteen: When I assign homework, there is to be no moaning or complaining. This will result in a doubled assignment. As Mr. Clark states many teachers tell him that they don't like this rule. They say homework should never be used as punishment. But he does say that it's better to have them understand that their will be consequences for their actions. If not he says they will always moan and complain about getting homework which is not acceptable. Mr. Clark says " I try to instill a positive type of attitude in my classroom, and under no circumstances do I allow my students to whine or fuss about any assignments or expectations of them."( Page 68) Again he is letting them know what is clearly expected of them. That being said he isn't completely unwilling to compromise with the students. He tells his students " If they do feel the homework too much for one night, they are welcome to voice their concerns."(Page 68) This way he is willing to work with them if they are busy and don't feel like that amount of homework will be completed.
  Finally my other important rule would be number twenty: While you are with a substitute teacher, you will obey the same rules that you follow when I am with you. (I know his is hard, but it is important.)  This rule is for students to learn that even though no one is watching them they must take pride in there appearance. This means they must not act silly or disrespectfully when their teacher is absent. This not only reflects badly on the students but also on the teacher who has taken time to get the students to follow certain protocols. Then they just decide that the protocols are not worth using while the teacher is out and toss out their manners as well? No that is not what is expected of this. As Mr. Clark has explained " I want my students to have the mind-set that they are working for themselves and to have pride in their work, wheather a boss is standing right over them or not." (Page 69)
 

On this website are 85 ideas for random acts of kindness. What do you say we try some out?

 

The Essential 55

We will be discussing Ron Clarks "The Essential 55" rules 1-10.

   I would like to start off by saying that I did think that 55 rules was a lot for kids to remember. After reading the rules however I realized these rules are more manners than anything something kids should already be familiar with. Many children today are taught manners but are not taught to make a habit of using them. I love how Mr. Clark makes students use their manners and let's them know why they must use them.
  I want to start off with my favorite rule out of the 10. It is rule number one: When responding to any adult, you must answer by saying "Yes ma'am" or "No sir." Just nodding your head or saying any other form of yes or no is not acceptable. Mr. Clark starts his rules with this one because he says " It sets the tone for the type of respect I expect from my students."(page 1) This rule is a great one to learn at a young age since it is a very useful tool when interacting with other adults.
  My next favorite would have to be number two: Make eye contact. When someone is speaking, keep your eyes on him or her at all times. If someone makes a comment, turn and face that person. See when someone is speaking it is a sign of respect to turn around and make eye contact. This shows that you are intreasted in what they have to say. As Mr. Clark also says "People will be more likely to trust you and believe in your ideas if they see that you are confident, sure of yourself, and making contact with them."(page 3) I believe this to be true since they do say that the eyes are the windows to your soul. I also really love how Mr. Clark urges his students to give respect to everyone not just teachers. "Often custodians, cafeteria workers, secretaries, and teachers' aides aren't considered worthy of the respect teachers get, and I work hard to change that image in the minds of my students.(page 5)
  An important rule that I think should be implemented in every classroom should be rule number eight: Do not smack your lips, tsk, roll your eyes, or show disrespect with gestures. I feel like many people do this and aren't really aware that they are doing it. Nonetheless this is still very disrespectful and makes it seem like you have no respect for the person talking or whatever someone just said to you. Mr. Clark lets his students know how disrespectful these actions are by saying "I talk to the students about how it is form of disrespect, and that sometimes you don't have to say a single word in order to get yourself in a lot of trouble."(Page 22) I think that Mr. Clark is fantastic in his way of teaching I mean after he implements a rule he has them role play someone breaking the rule. Then he shows the students the disciplinary measures that will be taken for breaking the rule. Then when the time comes and someone truly does break the rule they can't complain since they knew what was expected of them.
  Another important rule I think would be rule number nine: Always say thank you when I give you something. If you do not say it within three seconds after receiving the item, I will take it back. There is no excuse for not showing appreciation. This rule is really tough for kids today since they aren't use to appreciating the things they have. Mr. Clark had to establish this rule and remain consistent with it although it was tough at times. He has a point though there is no excuse for not showing appreciation.   Like Mr. Clark said he use to have a custodian who would occasionally mop and clean their rooms during the night shift. He made it a habit to thank him several times for all his good work. Mr. Clark says "He would seem surprised that I was thanking him for just doing his job."(Page 26) In today's society we are so use to not appreciating the things around us and it shouldn't be like that.
  I like how Mr. Clark hold these children to such standards. This teaches the children at a young age to become accustomed to being respectful and appreciative of everything and everyone around them. If you haven't yet I do recommend you read The Essential 55 by Ron Clark.

I found this website on how to get students to understand respect and gain it at the same time check it out.

Are schools built for learning?

 After watching Mr. Richardson's Ted talk video It got me thinking about our current educational system. Mr. Richardson motivates all of us watching to think about this question "Are schools built for learning?" I keep asking myself this question and have only come up with a very firm answer of no.
 You see when people are asked what an ideal learning environment would be they seem to come up with the complete opposite of how our learning environment is. It's sad that like Mr. Richardson said many students are learning more out of school then they are inside schools. The problem is that we aren't teaching students what they are passionate about but, instead we teach them what the state gives us. We must be honest most of the stuff these students are expected to know they will never use outside of school. We have children dropping out of school because they just can't find the motivation to stay. Instead they seem to be stressed out and losing all passion of wanting to learn.
 An ideal learning environment in my opinion would be one where we get to know what interest our students. We get to know what drives their passion for learning. Then we base our curriculum around their passions and incorporate everyone's interest into our learning. This could be used in the future as a way to get students engaging more. It also helps motivate our students to want to better their education without having to force them into it. This is also a great way to help those students that don't really have a passion. By teaching them based off what all the others are motivated it could help them find a passion. We also must figure out what motivates our students to better their education and make sure we keep that motivation alive. Getting an education should be something many people should be passionate about but sadly this isn't the case. We have hours of learning going on inside classroom and then we send students home to learn more on their own time. But if students are interested in learning inside the classroom what makes us so sure they will be willing to learn on their free time. What I'm saying is that we should find a way to motivate our students to get them passionate about learning.
 With that being said I do believe schools should be 7 hours long. If students are really passionate about their learning there will be no distractions or unnecessary interruptions. This means that students can learn a lot in a couple of hours. This way they can have more time to learn about the world around them or further learn about their passions.
 A way to measure students understanding or performance of a subject you could use a assessment of a test. But I feel like you could measure this by having them write about it. This way they get to have freedom to write about what they got out of the lesson. I believe that to we need to get students to want to learn on their own free will by motivating them.

Harry Wong chapter 23- achieving happiness and success

Today we will be talking about a successful and happy teacher.
 Mr. Wong starts off this section by stating "  The two things that matter the most to a worker our time and money." Being a worker is not what you should aim for. A worker will agree to put in more hours if there's additional pay or some form of perk. If you are an educator you should not have to be bribed to put in more hours. As a matter of fact educators never truly stop working. A successful teacher is not a worker but a leader. Leaders look for enchantement without expecting a perk. "Life rewards the competent, not the clock watchers." If you are busy being a leader you will be rewarded because you are strengthening your skills making you a valuable assets. Now on to the classroom environment. A successful teacher understands that the classroom is a complex environment. Yet they are capable of making decisons and solving problems despite that. Mr. Wong seems to believe that "A person's behavior will determine what choices that person will make." I am going to go ahead and say that I totally agree. If being an educator you believe it is a miserable job then you will make poor decisions for your JOB. If you have a positive attitude about being an educator then you will make good dese ions to help you better yourself. To be a leader you must follow these simple rules.

• "Leaders CHOOSE!"
• "Leaders have control over their own lives."
• "Leaders are people who strive, reach for excellence, and seek achievement."

Leaders chose to become better at what they do. They chose to be successful teachers. Leaders don't decide they take action! Leaders also take control of their lives. They make sure to generate your own happiness. So much of that happiness comes from sharing with others. Leaders don't give up until they have what they want. If you haven't yet noticed a leaders behavior is also a big part of their success. They are always wanting to be involved in their profession and wanting to share their happiness with everyone around them. In this chapter Mr. Wong gives us a group of different people that either succeed or don't. I have read through and I believe that I am a maintenance person. Those types of people are the ones who are characterized as being tired most of the time.  They also hope to and the make it through the week always seeking sympathy. Next  we have protective people. They can usually be found sitting in the back of the role in meetings and complaining about everything they do. Sadly protective and maintenance people make up 80% of the teaching profession. We need teachers who are glad to be doing what they love and who are happy to help. Today when we give something we expect something in return. This should not be how we function but sadly that is how life works today. "This is teaching: Promoting student growth." A professional teacher seeks that the students perform above expectations. They want to see students learning everything they need to and much more.
I feel like in the future I would work hard to be a leader. I also feel like my profession will get into my personal life a lot and I am totally ok with that. I will always be striving to find the best way to make sure my kids learn. I want to be able to help all those kids who are struggling go above and beyond. My only goal in life is to be happy and although at first I didn't seem to know how to accomplish this I seem to have found my answer. Last weekend I volunteer to help raise money for charity since it's the holiday. Once I was done I realized it felt good to help those around me and share some of my happiness with them. I want to be able to help the who.e world but unfortunately that is impossible so I will settle for the next best thing. I will strive to help all those children who are struggling and need as much help as possible. I will spend as much time as I can helping and looking up ways to make learning fun and exciting. I will make sure that my students are excited for test to show off all the knowledge they have. I will keep in mind all that Mr. Wong has taught me through this book. If you are an educator I highly recommend you read this book it is seriously the best thing ever. Unfortunately I could not find the whole entire book but I was able to find this slide show summarizing the main parts of the book.
Here are some letters student wrote their teachers as a thank you for all they have done.
Please watch this heartfelt video of a teacher who believed in one student and changed his life.