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.
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"I read this early in my teaching career. Though I would never have 55 rules for my classroom, I loved the focus on the kids and what is best for them. Teachers help students learn about more than their subject areas. Teachers help students learn about life. The best lessons come in between classes."
— Jared (5 out of 5 stars)
" Loved the 55 rules, and Ron Clark's presentation of them. A very memorable read, with a lot of practical application. "
— Emilie, 2/16/2014" Great stuff mostly common sense put into practice. "
— Ann, 2/15/2014" I thoroughly dislike this book. Yes, most of the rules themselves are good. Yes, I have applied some of them in my teaching. But the way that he implements them, and his attitude towards his students, struck me as demeaning. "
— Billydinpvd, 2/13/2014" In my class, we watched The Ron Clark Story starring Matthew Perry and saw how inspiring this teacher is. Although I think all these rules are a lot to ask for and they seemed more like manners and rules of life rather than of students and in a classroom. "
— Jessica, 2/2/2014" I'm not usually a big fan of authors who post giant photographs of themselves on the front, but I did enjoy this book. Even though Ron Clark may be mildly obsessed with himself, he does have some excellent advice for teachers and students. He works with a lot of difficult students, especially in the inner city. The Essential 55 is a good starter book to helping under-privileged children develop into upstanding citizens that actually believe in themselves! I would argue that not all 55 rules are essential, but all of them are good. I did notice that a lot of the rules were stylized and might not fit every classroom and every teacher. It's a great, easy read that makes you think critically about what kids need in and out of the classroom. "
— Elise, 1/21/2014" I read this after seeing Ron Clark and hearing him speak at a conference sponsored by the Virginia Dept of Education this summer. His 55 rules are obvious, common-sense examples of courtesy and respect. Great foundation for any classroom. "
— Marianne, 1/10/2014" This book was amazing from a teachers standpoint. I had the opportunity to meet Ron Clark over the summer and was inspired to do so many things in my classroom this year. "
— Laura, 1/10/2014" Classroom inspiration for all teachers!Saw Ron Clarc speak at our Convocation and I bought his book- amazing man! "
— Ashley, 11/28/2013" Wonderful stories from a quality teacher. Ron Clark loves his students so well, he wants you to be introduced to each of them in his personal stories. A nice read for motivating teachers! "
— Lauri, 10/29/2013" This book is outstanding and will help any teacher to set clear guidelines in a classroom while helping students leap for success. "
— Louanne, 9/26/2013" Ron Clark is a dynamic speaker, if you get the chance to see him, by all means go! He is an enthusiastic teacher. I agree with his ideas about teachers needing to demand respect and students will work for you if they know you care about them. But 55 rules? I can't begin to remember them all. "
— Nancy, 6/22/2013" reading this because my principal asked me to. am ambivalent. like the premise - HATE the way it is written, can tell I would not dig talking to this blow-hard at all...even if he does share my opinions about public education. "
— Beckie, 5/22/2013" this one gave me a lot of ideas for my classroom, but made me wonder how it fits in with other things that i have learned. "
— Allison, 4/17/2013" I think this is a great book and every educator should read it. I cried tears of joy more than once. Some of these rules won't apply to our little school, but many of them can even be adapted to use at home for my two kids. "
— Maggie, 2/26/2013" Interesting, picked up a few tricks and ideas to use in my classroom. "
— Marianna, 2/2/2013" One of the first education books that I bought my first year teaching. I love his candid humor and high expectations for his students. "
— Sara, 1/20/2013" Definitely a useful read. It is more directed at elementary audiences, but middle school educators can get something from this. I am definitely going to adapt a few things for next school year. "
— Mr., 12/22/2012" This is an amazing book for teachers and students who want to learn how to live a good life. "
— Libby, 7/27/2012" Before I became a teacher (I always knew that i wanted to be one) this book gave me further inspiration. I saw the author on Oprah and dreamed myself into this position. Now I need to reread it, I forgot all of the rules... "
— Aliyah, 7/14/2012" I have read this book and listened to it on cd numerous times. Very well written, entertaining, and inspiring. Fifty-five rules seem like a lot but he makes each one truly essential and memorable. "
— Rebecca, 7/6/2012" I watched the movie of "The Ron Clark" story and really enjoyed it. Because I am a retired teacher it moved me to get his book and read it. I really enjoyed it and wish I could have read it during my years as a teacher. He is amazing in helping every child be successful. "
— Elainendean, 4/10/2012" One of my favorite books to go through with the kids, even though we are not in a classroom setting and several of the rules just don't apply to us. It serves as a good reminder of points to cover in regards to treating others well. "
— Kendra, 8/23/2011" Great book....great ideas...wish more teachers were like this...should be required reading for education majors!!<br/><br/><br/><br/>I MET MY GOAL AND READ 50 BOOKS IN ONE YEAR...TO THE DAY!!!!! "
— Tiffany, 1/23/2011" This is the first book about teaching I ever owned and read and so it just holds a special place in my teacher heart. "
— Elissa, 1/21/2011" Great book and great suggestions on teaching. "
— Wendi, 1/10/2011" It is a great book for educators. Not all of the rules are applicable to High School aged students but you can apply them in a lot of ways. Great book. "
— Allie, 9/18/2010" great tips, an inspiring teacher! "
— Heather, 8/31/2010" Lots of good ideas for a classroom. I'm looking forward to using some of them this fall when school starts back. "
— Layne, 7/13/2010" This book is a must-have for any teacher or person who works with young students. Ron Clark has the perfect background and experience to offer advice to people who want to see students succeed. The ideas he discusses are relevant, make sense, and they work! Highly Recommended for all teachers. "
— Heather, 7/10/2010" This book convinced me that to be an award winning teacher, one must dedicate all one's time to the profession. No time for personal lives. Guess I'll never be the Disney Teacher of the Year. "
— Kerry, 7/5/2010Ron Clark is the author of bestseller The Essential 55, which has sold more than one million copies in twenty-five different languages. He has been named “American Teacher of the Year” by Disney and was Oprah Winfrey’s pick as her “Phenomenal Man.” He founded The Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, which more than 25,000 educators from around the world have visited to learn about the extraordinary ways that teachers and parents of RCA have helped children achieve great success. He has been featured on The Today Show and CNN, and his experiences have been turned into the film The Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry.