The Essential 55: An Award-Winning Educator's Rules for Discovering the Successful Student in Every Child, Revised and Updated

When Ron Clark walked into his fifth-grade class in rural North Carolina, he was confronted with a tremendous challenge. The children had little interest in learning, and were sorely lacking in guidance. How would he transform a group of apathetic kids into disciplined, thoughtful, and curious students? He quickly realized that they needed to learn some basic rules. Clark compiled a list of 55 lessons, and soon, his fifth-grade students--who once struggled to read at the third-grade level--were reading at the sixth-grade level . . . and loving it. What's more, they were gaining something crucial-self-respect. Those 55 lessons evolved into what Clark calls The Essential 55 -- guidelines for living and interacting with others. The Essential 55 will prepare parents and educators to teach students the rules for life -- everything from knowing how to say thank you, to acing an interview.

Now in paperback, Ron Clark's New York Times bestseller that's changing America one child at a time!

The runaway bestseller that's a must-have for every parent and teacher.

How many authors would travel coast to coast on a bus to get their book into as many hands as possible? Not many. But that's just what Ron Clark, author of The Essential 55, did to keep his book and message in the public eye. And it worked. After his Oprah appearance, sales skyrocketed: we've sold more than 850,000 copies in six months! The book sat tenaciously on the New York Times bestseller list for 11 weeks. Ron Clark was featured on the Today show, and in the Chicago Tribune, Good Housekeeping, and the New York Daily News -- not to mention the calls we've received from teachers and parents who want to get their hands on Ron's guidelines for teaching children. Now in paperback, The Essential 55 will be the perfect book for parents and teachers to slip into their own backpacks, to read on the train or at lunch, and to highlight the sections that resonate for them. And with an author who is truly a partner in getting his message to the masses, we just can't lose.

Ron Clark has been a teacher since 1995. Originally from North Carolina, he has taught in some of the most difficult schools in the country, most recently in Harlem, New York. Since winning the 2001 Disney Teacher of the Year Award, Clark has spoken to teachers, PTAs, and school boards across the country. He lives in Atlanta.

Publishers Weekly

The winner of the 2001 Disney Teacher of the Year Award presents some revolutionary ideas for the classroom: manners, industriousness and accountability. Many of the 55 rules Clark outlines read, at first, like excerpts from a 1950's primer: "If you are asked a question in conversation, you should ask a question in return," says Rule 6; stand to the right on escalators, insists Rule 43; and rule 29 includes 26 sub-rules about polite eating. Clark may seem like a bit of a fussbudget, but closer examination shows his rules go beyond simple politeness: they promote respect for self and others, and help foster a mature and responsible way of living in the world. As Clark explains each rule, he weaves in anecdotes of student projects, class trips (including one to Washington, D.C., where his students sang Christmas carols with the Clintons) and instances in which the particular rule proved invaluable. Clark, a North Carolina native, writes with a warm, Southern friendliness, and his cogent explanations about why he created his rules and his closing tips on dealing with parents and children offer plenty of ideas and much-needed support. Teachers will have to be determined to succeed before any set of guidelines will have an effect in the classroom, he warns-and indeed, Clark's tireless dedication might be daunting to some. And while the content of his lessons is presented only vaguely, for inspiration, this book is a definite winner; it also makes a strong case that students lack only good teachers to achieve great things. Clark's slim but valuable volume will make a welcome addition to any teacher's library. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Ron Clark’s ESSENTIAL 55 rules were created to help him control his first class in rural North Carolina where the students had little interest in lessons, and the parents believed school was extended day care. In teaching these students to be orderly, respectful and to feel appreciated, he took a group of below-average students and turned them into stars (for example he took 5th grade students who were reading at a 3rd grade level to reading at 6th grade level and loving it). He continued his mission in Harlem, where he found a school that needed him the most and worked the same magic. But it’s not magic. Ron Clark knows how to teach by using discipline and affection in almost equal measure. He devotes his time to teaching these kids how to live in the world so that they have respect for themselves and those around them-rules that apply to all of us. Some of the ESSENTIAL 55 include: how to accept compliments, how to return a greeting, how to gracefully lose a game. In hearing Ron Clark’s engaging voice, combined with his confident manner at changing the lives of these kids for the better, any reader will feel she can influence a student, a young child or a son graduating from college and going out into the world. When Ron Clark walked into his fifth-grade class in rural North Carolina, he was confronted with disinterested children in desperate need of structure and compassion. Brainstorming how best to reignite their love of learning, Ron created 55 lessons. Soon his fifth graders were reading at a sixth-grade level, engaging in class, and loving school. What's more, they were gaining something crucial: self-respect. These lessons evolved into The Essential 55 - guidelines for students on how to live and interact with others. Ron lit a fire under parents and teachers around the world to raise their standards and expect the most from their students. The Essential 55 features a new foreword from Ron and a fresh take on his classic rules. Ron's 55 ideas show that with determination, discipline, and regular rewards, the children you stick by will be the children you eventually admire Winner of the 2001 Disney teacher of the year award, Ron Clark presents fifty-five rules for everyday life that help students rise to their potential.