Have You Read this Summer Must Have Book?

Before I tell you the name of the book, I must say that this book is second only to Fred Jones’s Tools for Teaching.   I must tell you the whole story, though.  I recently acquired a job teaching summer camp for GT learners.  The heads of the camp have provided every child and teacher with a copy of a book and it’s associated workbook which helps teach character.  I have seen this book for years on the shelves of bookstores at back to school time.  I have thought to myself, “Self, you need to read this book!”  However, I never bought it and never read it.

The book I am speaking of is Ron Clark’s The Essential 55.    Have you read it?  If not, YOU MUST READ this book before school begins.  I guarantee it will change your school life!  I have always known to teach procedures and even known that they need to be specific, but Mr. Clark takes his teaching a step further and teaches his children rules to be successful in life.  Here is a peek at the table of contents:

While reading through this book, I have to even ask myself if I am following through with these rules in my own life.  Teaching your students to follow these 55 rules for life will surely change your whole school year!  In addition, Mr. Clark has written a workbook to accompany the book he has written so that students can have a chance to practice the specific procedures they have been taught–What a valuable resource!  I will definitely use these next year.

Just look at this video, too, which emphasizes that school needs to prepare students for life which school seldom does.