| Introduction | p. xvii |
| RCA's Core Principles and Values | p. 1 |
| Teach children to believe in themselves and don't destroy the dream. | p. 3 |
| Not every child deserves a cookie. | p. 7 |
| Define your expectations and then raise the bar; the more you expect, the better the results will be. | p. 11 |
| Uplift other adults who play a role in the lives of our children. | p. 20 |
| Listen. | p. 25 |
| Give all that you have to your children even though you will often receive nothing in return. | p. 29 |
| Get to know your students in nonacademic settings. | p. 34 |
| Be selfless with your contributions to the team. | p. 39 |
| Make it happen. Don't give excuses; find solutions! | p. 43 |
| Be excellent! | p. 46 |
| Create moments that will have a lasting impact on children's lives. | p. 52 |
| Set the tone for a love of learning. | p. 58 |
| Treat every child as if he or she were your own. | p. 61 |
| Push yourself to be innovative beyond your imagination. | p. 63 |
| Know the name of every teacher, student, parent, administrator, and board member. | p. 68 |
| Use music to excite, motivate, and inspire. | p. 71 |
| Know your students. | p. 76 |
| Don't let opportunities pass you by, even if the time, funding, and circumstances aren't completely right. | p. 80 |
| Make learning magical. | p. 84 |
| Teach children that the good you do in the world comes back to you. | p. 91 |
| Teach children to embrace their personalities and present themselves with confidence in all situations. | p. 95 |
| Live with no fear. | p. 100 |
| Love what your students love, whether it's iCarly, Twilight, or the NFL. | p. 107 |
| Create lasting traditions. | p. 110 |
| The Role of the Parent in the Success of the Child | p. 115 |
| Be prepared for the long haul if you want your child to succeed. | p. 117 |
| Don't be a helicopter parent. You can't come to their rescue forever. | p. 121 |
| Realize the power of gratitude and appreciation. | p. 127 |
| Remind children of their blessings and stress the value of a strong work ethic. | p. 131 |
| Nip it in the bud; small issues can grow into big problems. | p. 136 |
| Don't get your kid a video game system unless you are ready to be a prison guard. | p. 140 |
| Show them how to study; don't expect it to come naturally. | p. 143 |
| Realize that even very good children will sometimes lie. | p. 147 |
| Be patient. | p. 150 |
| See the potential in every child. | p. 153 |
| Punctuate the power of words. | p. 156 |
| Don't be a Penny Parent. | p. 157 |
| Creating the Right Climate and Culture | p. 161 |
| Welcome students and families to your school in style! Roll out the red carpet-literally! | p. 163 |
| Believe that every child can learn, regardless of ethnicity, learning disabilities, emotional or behavior problems, or the economic situation of the family. | p. 168 |
| Open your doors to the parents. | p. 172 |
| Dress the part; attire matters! | p. 173 |
| Make the most of every moment! There should be an urgency in education! | p. 176 |
| Can the intercom. | p. 178 |
| Please don't interrupt a teacher's lesson to deliver a note, ask a question, or disturb the class. | p. 178 |
| Avoid sitting down while students are in the room. | p. 179 |
| Do not use cell phones or computers while the students are in the room, unless the device is part of the lesson being taught. | p. 180 |
| Make homework for home, not school. | p. 181 |
| Make sure you do your homework, too! | p. 182 |
| Begin each class on fire! | p. 183 |
| Increase teacher quality instead of reducing class size. | p. 184 |
| Set an electric tone on Day One. | p. 185 |
| 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. | p. 194 |
| Open up your home to your students. | p. 196 |
| Stay connected; have parents on speed dial. | p. 199 |
| Give children a chance to respond and don't give up so quickly. | p. 200 |
| Realize that kids need to move! Bring education to life with kinesthetic learning. | p. 204 |
| Use chants to create a supportive, encouraging, exciting environment! | p. 206 |
| Get on the desk! ' | p. 209 |
| Resolve to find your own Red Button. | p. 214 |
| Celebrate the beauty of their ancestries. | p. 215 |
| Show them examples of excellence. | p. 217 |
| Set the bar high for parents, too! | p. 218 |
| Use an Amazing Race to bring learning to life! | p. 219 |
| Love your eighth graders. | p. 222 |
| Don't give children second chances on tests and projects. | p. 225 |
| Encourage children to cheer for one another. | p. 227 |
| Paint the walls with positive memories. (If their faces are on the walls, they are less likely to pee on them!) | p. 231 |
| Never read a speech. | p. 233 |
| Make eye contact with your classroom or audience. | p. 237 |
| Move around the room throughout the lesson and never remain in the same place. | p. 238 |
| Teach the students, not the board. | p. 239 |
| Exhibit the same energy you expect from your audience. | p. 239 |
| Smile. | p. 240 |
| Never allow students to begin a statement with "Umm," "Well," or "Me and." | p. 241 |
| Fake it to make it. | p. 243 |
| Use a djembe drum. Every classroom in the world needs one. | p. 244 |
| Don't put the blame on students unfairly. | p. 246 |
| Lift up your teachers. No, really, lift them up. | p. 248 |
| Have fun. | p. 249 |
| Reaching Out Beyond the Classroom | p. 253 |
| Teach parents the correct way to tutor their children. | p. 255 |
| Build strong bonds with parents. | p. 257 |
| Ask the hard questions-"What do you want this school to be?" | p. 260 |
| Join parents, teachers, and community members together to create "theme days" for the school. | p. 264 |
| Accept the fact that if kids like you all the time, then you're doing something wrong. | p. 267 |
| Recognize that the heart of the school is the teacher. Hire the best and never settle. | p. 269 |
| Always observe a teacher applicant teaching a lesson before offering him or her a job. | p. 271 |
| Teach children the history and symbolism of their home and school. | p. 275 |
| Remember that children are literal thinkers and, as adults, we really have to spell out what we mean. | p. 277 |
| Remember that the little things can make all the difference. | p. 280 |
| Provide lessons in life that will become lessons for life. | p. 284 |
| Uplift the students who have the furthest to go. | p. 285 |
| Allow teachers the freedom to make their rooms reflect their personalities-allow them to use color! | p. 287 |
| Let the students shine. | p. 291 |
| Leave the jealousy at the door. | p. 294 |
| Realize that you never truly know all that is going on in the life of a child. | p. 296 |
| Raise our children to be global citizens. | p. 297 |
| Recognize the big cost of big dreams. | p. 301 |
| Reach out to the community to build a powerful network. | p. 305 |
| Once you have donors, work hard to keep them! | p. 307 |
| Send fhank-you letters that are hand-drawn, colorful, and grammatically correct. | p. 312 |
| If you need advice, ask for money. If you need money, ask for advice. | p. 313 |
| Make your good-byes mean something. | p. 314 |
| What's Next? The New Dream | p. 318 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 321 |
| Ron Clark Academy Educator Training | p. 323 |
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