The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck--101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers

by Ron Clark Narrated by Ron Clark

Overview

A new book from bestselling author, award-winning educator, and founder of the Ron Clark Academy provides 101 revolutionary and powerful ways for parents, teachers, and communities to uplift, educate, and raise the children of America.

Ron Clark's breakout bestseller, The Essential 55, lit a fire under parents and teachers everywhere to raise their standards and expect the best from our children. Using the proceeds, Ron established the non-profit Ron Clark Academy (RCA), a revolutionary model school located in Atlanta whose mission is to have a profound impact on the lives and futures of all students who enter. Each year some 3,000 teachers from around the world visit the school to see how thinking outside the box can help create winning results.

Now, Ron shares the wisdom he has painstakingly learned from building a school from the ground up. There are many groundbreaking in invaluable lessons here for teachers on how to promote success and get the most from each and every lesson, but this is also for parents and the community, as we all have a share in the responsibility of raising inspired and creative kids.

The RCA way demands that we change the way we teach our kids. This includes:

¿ Only reward excellence. Parents and teachers should have high expectations for their kids and not give a cookie for average work.

¿ Education is a shared responsibility. Parents need to be as involved in their kid's education as teachers.

¿ Teach to the brightest in the room, but uplift the students who have the furthest to go.

¿ Only the best teachers should be hired and retained. This means increasing pay, but also changing the tenure system.

It is time to "Get on the Desk" and make every school in America an excellent school that values every student.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Clark, founder of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, award-winning teacher and author (The Essential 55), interweaves the history of his school with advice for teachers and parents; the text is rife with heart-warming anecdotes and inspiring ideas. The author explains how he used funds from his first book to turn an abandoned factory into a school for fifth through eighth graders that hosts 3,000 teachers annually for training programs.. Rewards are given only to the deserving (to wit, "Not every child deserves a cookie" is the opening core principle). Kids must "earn" their school jackets, and not every child receives his or hers at the same time. Some, Clark admits, may say the practice is "cruel" or damaging to self-esteem, but he offers proven results, with test scores rising and children who love learning. "The End of Molasses Classes," the author explains, is a call to make education fun, interesting, and anything but "slow." Clark installs a slide in the lobby, jumps up on desks while teaching, encourages kids to sing and chant in class as they learn their lessons, and urges teachers to take a personal interest in each student. Clark's ode to his academy is overloaded with glowing testimonials, but educators and parents will find much to emulate in this passionate, motivating tool book. (Aug.)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170946174
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	07/26/2011
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,246,802

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