Book Review

The Books' Topics:

These are the "Excellent 11" that frame the book's narrative...

• Enthusiasm


• Adventure


• Creativity


• Reflection


• Balance


• Compassion


• Confidence


• Humor


• Common Sense


• Appreciation


• Resilience

The central themes of this book are:

• Dedicated teacher do whatever it takes to submerge students in learning experiences


• Working within the "system" takes time


• Teachers need passion to buoy them across a sea of obstacles


• Whatever the cost in terms of time, effort and low pay, teaching is worth it

Keywords:

• See the Excellent 11 above

Main Idea:

Dedicated teachers work overtime, work more than full time, work day and night for their students.

Passionate teachers "take failure hard and to heart" when even one of their students fails.

Creative teachers can develop unlimited opportunities for expression and activity that further learning experiences for most students.

Unfortunately, many of these "above and beyond the call of duty" take their toll on a teacher's family life, social life or other "free" time; so that a teacher might not have a life at all outside of their classroom-world.

Quotes:

(Note: There are so many worthwhile quotes in this book that I could be sued for copyright infringement if I posted them all. Instead, the image shows how many quotes I could have picked. Here are a few of the sparkling and polished gems:

"...there always seems to be a few students in each class who are impossible to reach. They aren't interested, are usually below grade level, and tend to be discipline problems. Figuring out ways to reach them is an enormous challenge. I found that sometimes I spent so much time trying to reach those few that the rest of the class was suffering. At what point do you abandon the efforts to reach the stubborn few in order to meet the needs of the rest of the class? For me that is always hard, because the more troubled a student seems, the more I want to help."(p. - 15)

"When we are active and truly enthusiastic about our lives and jobs, we are often much happier. When individuals don't enjoy their jobs or aren't pleased with some facet of their life, they tend to have less energy; they gain weight, can't get sound sleep, and experience lethargy. When we engage in activities that we enjoy and have an occupation that excites us, we feel better about ourselves, have greater self-esteem, wake up energized, laugh a lot more, and live longer."(p. - 22)

"Too many students are sitting in classrooms day after day, watching the clock and feeling bored...we must find a way to get these students motivated and excited about something in their lives. We have to place a spark in their hearts and give them something to look forward to."(p. - 23)

"For all children, school should be a safe place. It must offer structure and stability, and teachers must make sure that there is a certain amount of organization and discipline in the daily routine. Once that is established, it is a good idea to throw some spontaneity into the day to keep the kids from getting bored."(p. - 53)

"Taking advantage of "teaching moments" is a quality that all great teachers have. When students show interest or when there is a spark or an eager question that is shared by all, there is no better time to veer off the course and use those teaching moments. When possible, it's always best to connect the new topic to the one you were covering."(p. - 65)

"The best principals put learning and kids' enthusiasm ahead of all else, and they are willing to let down their guard, laugh at themselves, and take on whatever role is necessary to build school morale."(p. - 74)

"In fact, it is a shame how much money teachers are already spending. Each year classroom teachers in the United States spend over one billion dollars of their own money on school supplies."(p. - 87)

"No matter what the subject, showing kids how much they have learned and how far they have come is a great way to build confidence and give them a sense of accomplishment, and the process can actually be an easy one. You can compare writing samples, math tests, and any number of assessments that will show students how much they have learned."(p. - 105)

"Kids learn differently; some are visual learners, some respond better to things they hear, and others respond to things they experience. Some kids focus best when they are in quite surroundings; others enjoy reading while listening to U2 and watching MTV at the same time. It is important for teachers and parents to present information to students in many different ways so that we are covering all the bases and reaching all the children."(p. - 112)

"Recharging is necessary, and it will make us a better teacher and also a better person. It is important for everyone, not only teachers. On average, American have less time off and fewer vacations that nay nation in the world. We strive for success and focus on output, and oftentimes we sacrifice our health and emotional well-being to meet the needs of the job."(p. - 120)

"The power of the teacher can never be overstated. We have the ability to inspire our students to greatness and truly make them realize their potential. "(p. -159 & 160)

"The number one thing that parents and teachers can do to positively affect the lives of our children and students is to become more aware of the way we speak to them…Children see themselves reflected in our eyes... "(p. - 182)

"Entering the professional is quite challenging, and it is a shame to see so many exceptional teacher leave the profession after teaching only a few years. They enter with so much energy and zest, but they soon burn out…Most new teachers are thrown in without life support."(p. - 191)

"The key to improving education in America isn't more technology, newer schools, bigger libraries, higher test scores, or even lower class size. All those things play a part, but the factor that above all other has the greatest impact on our students is the classroom teacher…unfortunately…teacher pay is not in proportion to the expectations of the job.…As teachers are drained each day mentally, physically, and emotionally, and there cannot be a harder job…It is incredibly difficult. and it is a shame teachers aren't compensated in a way that is equal to the amount of effort that is required."(p. - 209)

"Respect teachers' time. This issue come up most often in discussing teacher meetings. If there is going to be a faculty meeting, the principal must be there on time, there must be a good reason for the meeting, and the principal must not allow the meeting to drag on and on. Thirty minutes is a good amount of time for a faculty meeting after school."(p. - 214)

"Behaviors and attitude tend to trickle down in school systems. If a superintendent is demanding and threatening, the will usually spread to the principals and then to the teachers. The students end up suffering in that environment…The main thing for someone ins such an important position to realize is that they should exhibit the type of characteristics that they would want to see in those working for them."(p. - 228)

"With a supportive principal it is wonderful, but with a principal who seems to be working against you, life can be impossible. How are teachers supposed to follow their own true course and not get fired? How are teachers supposed to try new techniques and methods with a principal who doesn't approve?…These are difficult questions to answer, and I have watched numerous teachers quit and leave the profession, claiming they will never return because of the negative influence of a principal. There were times that I wanted to quit, and the only thing they [sic] kept me from doing so were the students."(p. - 238 & 239)

Issues Addressed by the Book:

Here are some of the ideas and suggestions presented in this book…

• How to of planning a stupendous field trip…i.e., out of state, to New York, to Washington D.C., to South Africa!


• How to practice reading test skills with students


• How to organize and track a system for organizing students' work binder and notebooks


• Recommendations for not "shafting" first year teachers with the classes with the worse discipline and assigning first year teacher to endless committees


• Tips for mastering the taking of tests

The Book's Shortcomings:

The book documents one very passionate and dedicated teacher. But, this is a teacher who doesn't mention his family at all. (Assumption: he is married to his classroom.)

It is not reasonable for a low-paying job (such as teaching) to consume a teacher's life to this extent, no matter how much students benefit.

Comments:

Ron Clark took students on trips to other states, and even to South Africa. A stupendous effort when, in many school districts, just obtaining permission to leave the county requires a Herculean effort, and where the uphill saga is not worth the personal aging effect upon the teacher.

Ron Clark went so far as to parlay his paycheck at 80% face value with a gangster "loan" officer so that he could purchase awards for his students. He claims that he didn't have money for food for a month. It is difficult imagining a professional teacher living on the hand-to-mouth edge of their personal security so that every dollar was fed back into classroom materials, supplies and motivational rewards.

Summary:

Ron Clark presents some real how-to strategies and techniques if you are willing to dig through the narrative to find and list them. (Note: Many similar ideas are found on the Classroom Toolkit site.

The difference between the author's philosophy and our philosophy is that teachers should protect themselves, their family time and their identity outside of their teaching job.

Ron Clark seems more like the runner who carried the message from Marathon, exhausted, ready to collapse from giving his all.

Teachers, on the other hand, should be like health conscious walkers, keeping up a steady pace, able to traverse the course well into their "golden years."

In the end, Ron Clark seems like a heavyweight prize fighter, admired, beaten up…but none of us desires to take his place.

Teaching would be a better profession if teachers were taken care of on a par with students.

Rating (Four Point scale):