Professional Reading [The End of Molasses Classes by Ron Clark]

This is one of those books that every teacher should read for professional development. There are 101 reasons why, but for the sake of time I'll only chat about a few of them and encourage you to read his book - be inspired!

Ron Clark offers example after example as to why we should never, ever have excuses for not making things happen. Each story he shared hit my heart effectively - inspiring me as a Christian, wife, mother, teacher, friend... that no matter what I do, do it well (and as he said, do it with wild abandon). My all time favorite quote that I do not want to forget,

We could be here all day with my favorite sections and quotes, so for the sake of summary these were some of my favorites:

• Don't destroy a dream.
• Not every child deserves a cookie.
• Define high expectations.
• Uplift each other.
• Listen.
• Give all that you've got.
• Get to know your students in nonacademic settings.
• Be selfless.
• Making excuses won't make it happen.
• Be excellent.
• Create moments.
• Love learning.
• Treat students as they were your own.
• Push innovation - beyond your imagination.
• Know names. (This is something I am terrible at remembering. I had the hardest time getting names to stick (until they did something naughty). So I found this particular section super convicting.)
• Use music.
• Know your students.
• No matter your circumstances - don't let moments pass you by.
• Make learning magical
• Do good - get good.
• Live fearlessly.
• Love what your students love. (I once went skeet shooting with a student and found a book on the topic, because I could not get the kid to read at all. I knew that I needed to know something about one of his interests in order to get him interested. That's one of my own examples of this one at work. Also, I found that I really enjoyed it and I'm pretty good at it!)
• Create lasting traditions.
• Create a culture for learners and love. (For the first two weeks we focused on expectations and loving one another. I did 2 weeks of bully training found here: Teachers Notebook and Teachers Pay Teachers
• Create a community environment.
• Encourage students to encourage each other.
• Use chants, kinesthetic learning, and music. 
• Stress the value of a strong work ethic.
• Realize the power of gratitude and appreciation (I've been working on a unit for that since October of this year and the more research I do on the power of gratitude I could go overboard on exclamation points for this one!)
• Set the bar high for parents, too!
• Ask the hard questions - "What do you want this school to be?" (They have to be prepared for the hard answers, if they want greatness, they must put forth greatness themselves!)
• The staff must love one another. "[The staff] knew that through loving one another they would really be helping children. When the kids come to our school they see nothing but a team of individuals who want to be at RCA and how love one another." p.261 I have been part of some amazing teams of teachers and I know when we work together for the success of the student, success doesn't seem unattainable. However, I have been part of some pretty terrible teams that fought and disagreed on everything. When attitudes stink and respect thrown out the window, the environment tanks. No one wants to be in that kind of environment and it's nearly impossible to create a positive learning environment.
• Build a powerful network and work hard to keep those people, "I tell teachers and schools that want to receive donations that they must realize it's all about building relationships and having the patience to start small, show appreciation, and then take the proper steps to increase the donation." (p.306) and the one question he always asks possible donors is one worth writing down, "What would you like to see from RCA in order to get your foundation to a point in the future where you might consider a gift for us?" (p.314)

Now these may seem like "duh" no brainer principles, but it takes a tremendous amount of effort to actually apply them day in and day out. Thankfully his book is full of excellent examples, shared alongside his fallibility. When he shared his failures, followed by his reflections and hindsight, I found him very relatable and thankful for his willingness to share those mistakes and what he learned from them.

If you're like me and find this list overwhelming you must know that from beginning to end two qualities were abundantly clear as he built a successful school: tremendous work ethic and to simply care. Everything on that list stems from those two characteristics. Resolve to work hard and care for your students and your co-workers. When you do those two things that list will just work itself out!  

One of my favorite parts of the entire book was the section for parents. Seriously, every parent in today's day and age needs to read this book. His knowledge and experience and expectations will help you do your important job well. Read it. This particular section is only a little over 40 pages long, a big whoop for all that this will rouse within you. Let me give you a pretty wonderful, motivational  example to wet your appetite,

"Currently at RCA, more than half of our school is scoring over the 90th percentile in math, and I can say, with full confidence, that it is largely due to the role the parents are playing in the preparation for the tests throughout the year." p.256

Teachers, why is parent involvement so important? I'll let Clark answer that with this amazing truth:

"The key is to open the doors of your school to the parents, to invite them in, and to make them feel like a part of their children's education. Once you have done that, it becomes so much easier to work with them on issues that are standing in the way of their child's success, and it makes dealing with any parent issues so much easier to handle." p.259

Another favorite topic (okay, I have many) is his discussion on a teacher's worth, a teacher's education, how much they should be paid and why, and his view on tenure. I think it's worth reading, considering, and joining the debate. I won't give all those details away, GO READ THE BOOK!

His vision for education is one to get excited about. Someday I'd like to visit, but for now it was wonderful seeing it through his eyes in his book.

"Our purpose is to create new and innovative ways to educate children and share our findings with others in a professional development setting."