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| Introduction | |
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| RCA's Core Principles and Values | |
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| Teach children to believe in themselves and don't destroy the dream. | |
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| Not every child deserves a cookie. | |
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| Define your expectations and then raise the bar; the more you expect, the better the results will be. | |
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| Uplift other adults who play a role in the lives of our children. | |
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| Listen. | |
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| Give all that you have to your children even though you will often receive nothing in return. | |
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| Get to know your students in nonacademic settings. | |
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| Be selfless with your contributions to the team. | |
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| Make it happen. Don't give excuses; find solutions! | |
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| Be excellent! | |
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| Create moments that will have a lasting impact on children's lives. | |
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| Set the tone for a love of learning. | |
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| Treat every child as if he or she were your own. | |
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| Push yourself to be innovative beyond your imagination. | |
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| Know the name of every teacher, student, parent, administrator, and board member. | |
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| Use music to excite, motivate, and inspire. | |
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| Know your students. | |
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| Don't let opportunities pass you by, even if the time, funding, and circumstances aren't completely right. | |
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| Make learning magical. | |
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| Teach children that the good you do in the world comes back to you. | |
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| Teach children to embrace their personalities and present themselves with confidence in all situations. | |
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| Live with no fear. | |
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| Love what your students love, whether it's iCarly, Twilight, or the NFL. | |
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| Create lasting traditions. | |
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| The Role of the Parent in the Success of the Child | |
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| Be prepared for the long haul if you want your child to succeed. | |
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| Don't be a helicopter parent. You can't come to their rescue forever. | |
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| Realize the power of gratitude and appreciation. | |
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| Remind children of their blessings and stress the value of a strong work ethic. | |
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| Nip it in the bud; small issues can grow into big problems. | |
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| Don't get your kid a video game system unless you are ready to be a prison guard. | |
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| Show them how to study; don't expect it to come naturally. | |
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| Realize that even very good children will sometimes lie. | |
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| Be patient. | |
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| See the potential in every child. | |
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| Punctuate the power of words. | |
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| Don't be a Penny Parent. | |
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| Creating the Right Climate and Culture | |
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| Welcome students and families to your school in style! Roll out the red carpet-literally! | |
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| Believe that every child can learn, regardless of ethnicity, learning disabilities, emotional or behavior problems, or the economic situation of the family. | |
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| Open your doors to the parents. | |
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| Dress the part; attire matters! | |
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| Make the most of every moment! There should be an urgency in education! | |
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| Can the intercom. | |
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| Please don't interrupt a teacher's lesson to deliver a note, ask a question, or disturb the class. | |
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| Avoid sitting down while students are in the room. | |
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| Do not use cell phones or computers while the students are in the room, unless the device is part of the lesson being taught. | |
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| Make homework for home, not school. | |
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| Make sure you do your homework, too! | |
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| Begin each class on fire! | |
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| Increase teacher quality instead of reducing class size. | |
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| Set an electric tone on Day One. | |
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| Don't constantly stress about test scores. We have to stop sending the message to our students that the purpose of learning is to take a test. | |
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| Open up your home to your students. | |
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| Stay connected; have parents on speed dial. | |
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| Give children a chance to respond and don't give up so quickly. | |
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| Realize that kids need to move! Bring education to life with kinesthetic learning. | |
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| Use chants to create a supportive, encouraging, exciting environment! | |
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| Get on the desk! ' | |
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| Resolve to find your own Red Button. | |
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| Celebrate the beauty of their ancestries. | |
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| Show them examples of excellence. | |
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| Set the bar high for parents, too! | |
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| Use an Amazing Race to bring learning to life! | |
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| Love your eighth graders. | |
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| Don't give children second chances on tests and projects. | |
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| Encourage children to cheer for one another. | |
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| Paint the walls with positive memories. (If their faces are on the walls, they are less likely to pee on them!) | |
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| Never read a speech. | |
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| Make eye contact with your classroom or audience. | |
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| Move around the room throughout the lesson and never remain in the same place. | |
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| Teach the students, not the board. | |
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| Exhibit the same energy you expect from your audience. | |
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| Smile. | |
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| Never allow students to begin a statement with "Umm," "Well," or "Me and." | |
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| Fake it to make it. | |
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| Use a djembe drum. Every classroom in the world needs one. | |
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| Don't put the blame on students unfairly. | |
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| Lift up your teachers. No, really, lift them up. | |
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| Have fun. | |
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| Reaching Out Beyond the Classroom | |
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| Teach parents the correct way to tutor their children. | |
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| Build strong bonds with parents. | |
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| Ask the hard questions-"What do you want this school to be?" | |
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| Join parents, teachers, and community members together to create "theme days" for the school. | |
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| Accept the fact that if kids like you all the time, then you're doing something wrong. | |
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| Recognize that the heart of the school is the teacher. Hire the best and never settle. | |
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| Always observe a teacher applicant teaching a lesson before offering him or her a job. | |
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| Teach children the history and symbolism of their home and school. | |
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| Remember that children are literal thinkers and, as adults, we really have to spell out what we mean. | |
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| Remember that the little things can make all the difference. | |
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| Provide lessons in life that will become lessons for life. | |
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| Uplift the students who have the furthest to go. | |
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| Allow teachers the freedom to make their rooms reflect their personalities-allow them to use color! | |
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| Let the students shine. | |
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| Leave the jealousy at the door. | |
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| Realize that you never truly know all that is going on in the life of a child. | |
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| Raise our children to be global citizens. | |
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| Recognize the big cost of big dreams. | |
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| Reach out to the community to build a powerful network. | |
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| Once you have donors, work hard to keep them! | |
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| Send fhank-you letters that are hand-drawn, colorful, and grammatically correct. | |
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| If you need advice, ask for money. If you need money, ask for advice. | |
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| Make your good-byes mean something. | |
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| What's Next? The New Dream | |
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| Acknowledgments | |
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| Ron Clark Academy Educator Training | |