When Ron Clark walked into his fifth-grade class in rural North Carolina, he was confronted with a tremendous challenge. The children had little interest in learning, and were sorely lacking in guidance. How would he transform a group of apathetic kids into disciplined, thoughtful, and curious students? He quickly realized that they needed to learn some basic rules. Clark compiled a list of 55 lessons, and soon, his fifth-grade students-who once struggled to read at the third-grade level-were reading at the sixth-grade level . . . and loving it. What's more, they were gaining something crucial-self-respect. Those 55 lessons evolved into what Clark calls The Essential 55-guidelines for living and interacting with others The Essential 55 will prepare parents and educators to teach students the rules for life-everything from knowing how to say thank you, to acing an interview....

hen The Essential 55 was published, Ron Clark became a tireless promoter, traveling the country to speak to large groups of teachers and fans. And when his Oprah appearance shot the book onto the New York Times bestseller list, he kept the heat on. We can expect the same tenacious commitment to promoting his follow-up book, The Excellent 11. The Excellent 11 contains eleven sections with each one focusing on a theme directly related to teaching and raising children. Ron Clark draws from his own experience to give advice, telling personal stories that demonstrate the significance of each theme within the learning environment-an environment that extends beyond the classroom and into the larger world. Using themes ranging from Adventure, Ingenuity, and Humor to Dedication, Creativity, and Love, Clark provides a road map for both parents and teachers who want to enrich their children's learning experiences....

Now in paperback, the national bestseller that's changing America, one student at a time fter publishing his New York Times bestseller The Essential 55, award-winning teacher Ron Clark took his rules on the road and traveled to schools in 49 states. He met amazing teachers, administrators, students, parents-all kinds of people involved in bringing up great kids. In the best of them, he noticed the same qualities that he'd observed in many of the outstanding individuals he'd worked with during his time teaching in North Carolina and Harlem....