The Excellent 11: Qualities Teachers and Parents Use to Motivate, Inspire, and Educate Children

We are trying to get an Alternative High School up and running again and I wish we could clone Mr. Clark to teach all students. The next best thing is to have all of our teachers read and follow his map to help our students achieve success.

Though I never had the personal pleasure of having Ron Clark as my teacher, he is quickly becoming one of my favorites--in part because of his first book, THE ESSENTIAL 55 . . . then recently, I enjoyed a film about his life (THE RON CLARK STORY) on TNT. And so when I saw that he had another book out, THE EXCELLENT 11, I naturally got hold of it as quickly as I could . . . its subtitle particularly caught my attention: QUALITIES TEACHERS AND PARENTS USE TO MOTIVATE, INSPIRE AND EDUCATE CHILDREN. What if there were ways to motivate children? Even better, what if they could be learned by reading a book? So I attempted to answer these questions by reading Clark's latest and am happy to report that I did come across several tidbits that should prove helpful to any teacher . . . in spite of the fact that he taught on an elementary level, what he has to say applies to almost any age. Also, I liked the author's many examples in THE EXCELLENT 11 . . . he not only describes a quality, but he also shows countless real examples of how he used it in his teaching. For example, there was this one: Don't be afraid to abandon a set plan or to scrap a lesson if an opportunity for learning presents itself that will be to the child's advantage. This is applicable whether you are a parent or a teacher, or both. Clark also says that as a parent or teacher it's also important that we remember not to take ourselves too seriously at time. We may have to laugh, dance, sing, make funny faces, or do the unusual, but we have to be willing to let down our guard and have fun with education. Sometimes it takes creativity, something different, something dramatic to catch the attention of students, to earn their admiration, and to get them to respect what you have to say. Lastly, what Clark has to say has relevance to life outside the classroom, too. In talking about his friend Bith, he mentions how she always talks about how there are "good dinner guests" and "bad dinner guests." She says good guests will show up empty-handed. They always have a dessert, flowers, wine, or some other item to show gratitude. As soon as the meal begins, she says, good guest will immediately make a comment about the quality of the good. Bith says she is always nervous that they won't like what she has prepared, and the longer she has to sit there without their telling her they are enjoying the meal, the more anxious she becomes. The best guests, Bith adds, will even say they enjoy something so much they would like to have the recipe. The relevance of that last point to education was when Clark taught his students to go out of their way to show appreciation to those that help them. That is why he would always invite custodians out for a special lunch prepared just for them by the students. That's a great idea that can be implemented in just about any school!

With all of the talk about test scores and negativity in education, Ron Clark's "The Excellent 11" is right on target. I found uplifting, informative, and full of ideas and nuggets of wisdom that both parents and teachers will find helpful. My favorite section (Compassion) was especially touching, and I almost cried at a story Clark tells of his mother teaching him to ride a bike. The type of enthusiasm his mother had while raising him is the same type of energy Clark uses in his classroom and is exactly what is missing from so many classrooms in America today.This is a winner for new teachers eager to get their footing, for veteran teachers who need to be reminded why they are in education and for parents who are constantly looking for ways to get their children excited about learning.

Bestselling author Ron Clark is right on target again with his newest book "The Excellent 11". In it he enumerates the eleven qualities shared by students who love to learn and how these same qualities in a teacher make learning an adventure. Each of the eleven qualities gets its own chapter where he details not only what defines that quality but provides examples of how to use it to teach children. The eleven qualities are enthusiasm, adventure, creativity, reflection, balance, compassion, confidence, humor, common sense, appreciation, and resilience. This is a highly recommended read and should be read by anyone interested in teaching children whether it is in the regular school system, home schooling, church school, leading children, camp counselors, or any other similar venue.