Talk about misleading covers! I've been leaving this book review for awhile, as the topic cover just did not appeal to me, as it appeared I'd be dealing with another hyped up ready-for-K-Mart-my-solution-is-best self promotion. Wrong.
While hyped as providing 101 "extraordinary solutions for parents and teachers", there really ARE 101 techniques, methods, tips, and yes, one could call these solutions. All based on real scenarios.
Ron Clark, author of "The Essential 55" (a New York Times bestseller), is also the founding whirlwind behind RCA - the Roy Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. And it is the scenarios surrounding those exceptional methods brought to life within the RCA walls that are shared with readers. In fact, educators from all over the world have come to RCA to learn how to implement these successful methods, and how to implement these for their own learning situations.
Please note though, that while RCA is geared to getting students to high school, the methods can be used for any instructional setting.
Clark's love of teaching and energetic enthusiasm literally jump off the pages at the reader. And yes, this is infectious, even for the passive learner. His respect for students as individuals is clearly apparent, and really is the basis for most of these techniques. This is not tough love, but respect for a person's abilities, that cause the new student, parent (and some teachers!) the most unhappiness: who nowadays actually fails a student for not doing the best work possible? Isn't that an unkind cut - don't you know what's happening at the student's home - shouldn't we pass these kids so they get some kind of "up" from school or somewhere in their life? Finally, an educator has build a school that actually promotes what instructors want - to impart the love of learning and the how of learning to each student.
Failing is not a dirty word, it is a learning curve. Giving A's so as not to have to deal with the conflict from parents, students and administrators is too often the norm, and we're just setting up future generations for disappointment when the real working world doesn't work the same way.
One disappointment though, is other than working at RCA (or being able to create your own RCA), there is no advice on how to deal with the administration problems of not going with the flow of no failures. While parent and student objections and obstacles are dealt with in a concise manner, as is getting parents and students on board to this lively teaching environment, there is no help for the masses stuck within the mainstream of education culture.
This is a minor setback though, as the book is still too good with its upbeat yet practical teaching tips. Perhaps Clark is just testing the waters with the masses first, and the next installment will help educators create a system of RCA's, not just individual classrooms. That's a hint, Mr. Clark.
Book courtesy of FSB Associates.
References:
Clark, Ron. The End of Molasses Classes. Getting our Kids Unstuck:101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers. New York, NY USA: Touchstone, 2011
ISBN:978-1-4516-3972-8
Paym Bergson - Paym Bergson - freelance entrepreneur & career coach with extensive experience working in the educational/professional development ...
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