55 Rules that Make a Difference

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26 February 2010

Some food for thought for parents.

Ron Clark was a country school teacher who with only 4 years of teaching experience took on one of the toughest and least performing grades in Harlem and turned them around by setting good ground rules and believing in them. He was amongst many other accalades awarded as the Disney teacher of the year and Given a sponsorship by Oprah Winfrey to open his own school, today known as the Ron Clark Academy of Excellence.

I often take inspiration from Mr Clark even though he is many times my junior in years.

“The Essential 55” by Ron Clark

Rule 1
When responding to any adult, you must answer by saying“Yes ma’am” or “No sir.” Just nodding your head or sayingany other form of yes or no is not acceptable.

Rule 2
Make eye contact. When someone is speaking, keep youreyes on him or her at all times. If someone makes acomment, turn and face that person.

Rule 3
If someone in the class wins a game or does something well,we will congratulate that person. Claps should be at leastthree seconds in length with the full part of both handsmeeting in a manner that will give the appropriate clapvolume.

Rule 4
During discussions, respect other students’ comments,opinions, and ideas. When possible, make statements like, “Iagree with John, and I also feel that…” or “I disagree withSarah. She made a good point I feel that…” or “I think Victormade an excellent observation, and it made me realize…”

Rule 5
If you win or do well at something, do not brag. If you lose, donot show anger. Instead, say something like, “I really enjoyedthe competition, and I look forward to playing you again,” or“good game,” or don’t say anything at all. To show anger orsarcasm, such as “I wasn’t playing hard anyway” or “Youreally aren’t that good,” shows weakness.

Rule 6
If you are asked a question in conversation, you should ask aquestion in return. Me: “Did you have a nice weekend?”You: “Yes, I had a great time. My family and I went shopping.What about you? Did you have a nice weekend?”It is only polite to show others that you are just as interested inthem as they are in you.

Rule 7
“When you cough or sneeze or burp, it is appropriate to turnyour head away from others and cover your mouth with thefull part of your hand. Using a fist is not acceptable. Afterward, you should say, “Excuse me.”

Rule 8
“Do not smack your lips, tsk, roll your eyes, or showdisrespect with gestures.”

Rule 9
“Always say thank you when I give you something. If you donot say it within 3 seconds after receiving the item, I will take itback. There is no excuse for not showing appreciation.”

Rule 10
“When you are given something from someone, never insultthat person by making negative comments about the gift or byinsinuating that it wasn’t appreciated”

Rule 11
“Surprise others by performing random acts of kindness. Goour of your way to do something surprisingly kind andgenerous for someone at least once a month.”

Rule 12
“Occasionally we may grade each other’s papers as a group. When grading other students’ papers, if you give someone anincorrect grade, whether it is higher or lower than theydeserve, the amount the grade differs from the actual gradewill be deducted from your paper. The only marks you areallowed to make on others’ papers are an “X” and the numberthey got incorrect.”

Rule 13
“When we read together in class, you must follow along. If Icall on you to read, you must know exactly where we are andbegin to read immediately”

Rule 14
“Answer all questions with a complete sentence. Forexample, if the question asks, “What is the capital of Russia?” you should respond by writing, “The capital of Russia isMoscow.” Also, in conversation with others, it is important touse complete sentences out of respect for the person’squestion. For example, if a person asks, “How are you?”instead of just responding by saying, “Fine,” you should say,“I’m doing fine, thank you. How about yourself?”

Rule 15
“At times throughout the year, I will give rewards for goodbehavior, academic performances and other acts worthy ofpraise. If you ever ask me for a reward, however, it will not begiven. It is rude to ask if you are getting something for goodbehavior. You should be good and try your best because youare trying to better yourself, not because you are anticipatinga reward. I usually give some sort of reward to everyone whoscores 100 on unit tests. If you make 100 and ask if you aregetting something, no one who made 100 will be givenanything.”

Rule 16
“Homework will be turned in each day for each subject byevery student with no exceptions.”

Rule 17
“When we are in transition from one subject to the other, thechange will be swift, quiet and orderly. We should beconsistently able to turn from one book to another, completewith all homework and necessary materials, as quickly aspossible. The opportune amount of time to spend in transitionshould be less than ten seconds, and we will work toward agoal of seven seconds.”

Rule 18
“You will make every effort to be as organized as possible.”

Rule 19
“When I assign homework, there is to be no moaning orcomplaining. This will result in a doubled assignment.”

Rule 20
“While you are with a substitute teacher, you will obey thesame rules that you follow when I am with you. (I know this ishard, but it is important.)”

Rule 21
“We will follow certain classroom protocols. We will beorganized, efficient, and on task. In order to do so, we willfollow these rules:1. Do not get out of your seat without permission. Exception:If you are sick, leave immediately.2. Do not speak unless:You raise your hand, and I call on you.I ask you a question and you are responding.It is a recess of lunch.I instruct you otherwise (for example, during group work).”

Rule 22
“You may bring a bottle of water and leave it on your desk. Donot ask me f you can get water while I am teaching a lesson.You can even have food at your desk as long as others don’t see it and I don’t hear you eat it.”

Rule 23
"Quickly learn the name of other teachers in theschool and greet them by saying things like, "Goodmorning Mrs. Graham," or "Good afternoon Ms. Ortiz. That is a very pretty dress." (Note: If you are inline with the rest of class, you are not allowed tospeak to the teachers at that time because theno-talking rule is in effect. You should speak toother teachers if you are entering or leaving theschool, on recess, on an errand, or changing classes.)

Rule 24
"Flush the toilet and wash your hands after using the restroom. When in a public rest room, get a paper towel beforewashing your hands. After washing your hands, use the papertowel to turn off the faucets and to press the dispenser to getanother paper towel to dry your hands. (Or use the towel topress the button to start the dryer.) The last thing you want todo is touch areas with clean hands that others have touchedwith dirty hands."

Rule 25
"We will often have visitors to our school. If someone iscoming to visit our class, I will send two students to the frontdoor of the building. You will have a sign welcoming theperson. When our visitor arrives, you will shake hands, tellhim or her who you are, and welcome the person to ourschool. You will then take the visitor on a small tour of thebuilding before bringing him or her to the classroom."

Rule 26
“Do not save seats in the lunchroom. If someone wants to sitdown, let him or her. Do not try to exclude anyone. We are afamily, and we must treat one another with respect andkindness.”

Rule 27
“If I or any other teacher in school is speaking to ordisciplining a student, do not look at that student. Youwouldn’t want others looking at you if you were in trouble orbeing reprimanded, so don’t look at others in that situation. Ifyou are the student I am talking to, do not get angry or fuss atstudents who are looking at you. Let me know and I willhandle the situation.”

Rule 28
"If you have a question about your homework, you may callme. If I am not there to answer the phone, please leave amessage in the following manner: "Hi, Mr. Clark, this is_______________. I need help with the _______________homework. You can call me back until ___:00. Thank you."There is no need to leave this message fourteen times."

Rule 29
“There are several manners dealing with food that you mustfollow: I call these my ABC’s of Etiquette.

A. When you first sit down for a meal, immediately place younapkin in your lap. If you silverware is wrapped in a napkin,unwrap it as soon as you sit down and place the napkin inyour lap.

B. When you are finished eating, place you napkin on the tableto the left of your plate. Place it loosely beside the plate. Don’tcrumple it, because you don’t want to seem untidy. Don’t foldit too neatly, because you don’t want the restaurant to thinkyou assume they are going to use it again. Never leave yournapkin on your chair. This implies that the napkin is too dirtyto be left on the table. Also, in some cultures, leaving thenapkin on the chair is known as a way to say that you don’tintend to return to the restaurant again.

C. Never place you elbows on the table.

D. Use one hand to eat, unless you are cutting or buttering food.Never have your fork in one hand and a glass in the other.

E. Do not lick your fingers. There is a napkin provided for thepurpose of cleaning your fingers. There is no need to lickyourself clean.

F. Do not smack you lips or chew noisily.

G. Do not chew with your mouth open.

H. Do not talk with your mouth full. Sometimes people will placea hand over their mouth and talk anyway. Don’t do that. Waituntil you have swallowed your food to speak.

I. If something is caught in your teeth, don’t go in after it; waituntil you are in the rest room to remove it.

J. D not slurp.

K. Do not play with your food.

L. If you drop your fork, napkin, or anything else on the floor, DONOT pick it up. It is very rude and unsanitary to placesomething on the table that has been on the floor. If you pickup something that has dropped and hand it to a waiter, thenyou will need to excuse yourself and wash your hands beforecontinuing with your meal. The best way to handle a situationwhen something has dropped on the floor is to ask a waiter fora replacement; leave the old one on the floor.

M. You are to use your utensils for eating almost everything.

Here are ten types of food you may use your hands to eat:
1.Pizza2.Bacon3.Cookies4.Bread (Always tear off a bite-sized piece to eat. If youare going to use butter, never butter the whole piece of bread;butter the piece you tore off, and eat that before tearinganother piece.)5.Corn on the cob (It is appropriate to eat across insteadof eating around.)6.Hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches (includingbreakfast biscuits)7.French fries and chips8.Fried chicken9.Asparagus (yes, asparagus)10.Small fruits (like grapes on a stem), apples, oranges,carrots, etc.

N. Never reach over someone’s plate to get something. Youshould say, “Will you please pass the salt?”

O. Never start eating off of your tray until you are at your seat.

P. When we are eating at a restaurant, you are not to begineating until everyone at the table has received food.

Q. You should never complain if the line is too long, the food isn’tgood, or if there is a wait. You don’t want to be negative to thepoint where you spoil the enjoyment of the event for others.

R. If you are unsure which silverware to use, simply start with thefork, knife or spoon that is the farthest from your plate. On theleft, you will have your salad fork on the outside and yourdinner fork on the inside. On the far right, you will have yoursoupspoon. Beside it you will have the spoon you will use tostir your coffee or tea, then your salad knife, and then yourdinner knife. The utensils above your plate are to be used fordessert.

S. When you are finished eating, do not push your plate awayfrom you. Leave it where it is in the setting. If you want toshow you have finished eating, you should lay your fork andknife together diagonally across the plate. You should placethe fork with the tines down, and you should have the sharpside of the knife facing down. Of the two utensils, the forkshould be closest to you.

T. Never place a piece of silverware that you have used back onthe table. Leave it on a plate or saucer.

U. If you didn’t use a utensil, do not place it on a plate or saucerwhen you are finished. Just leave it where it is.

V. Always look a waiter in the eyes when you are ordering,asking a question, or saying thank you.

W. Make a point to remember the waiter’s name when heintroduces himself to you. Use his name as often as possiblethroughout the course of the meal.

X. If you have to go to the rest room, you should stand up andsay, “Excuse me,” as you leave the table.

Y. When you are offered desserts or asked a question such as“What sides would you like?” or “What dressing would you likefor your salad?” it is best to ask, “What are my options?” Thatway, you aren’t going through a process of naming things therestaurant might not have.

Z. Never talk to waiters or waitresses as if they are servants.Treat them with respect and kindness, and remember, theyare the ones who are fixing food and bringing it to you. You donot want to be on the bad side of a waiter.”

Rule 30
“After we eat, we will clean up after ourselves. This includescleaning off the tables and making sure we haven’t left anytrash on the floor or around the eating area. It is important tobe responsible for your trash no matter where you are and tobe sure not to litter.”

Rule 31
"When we stay in a hotel room, it is appropriate to leave a tipon the pillow for the hotel workers who are responsible forcleaning the room after our stay. Two to three dollars per nightis an appropriate amount, depending on the cost of the room."

Rule 32
“When we ride on a bus, we will always sit facing forward. Wewill never turn around to talk to other students, stick anythingout of the windows, or get out of our seats. When we exit thebus, we will always thank the bus driver and tell him to have agood day.”

Rule 33
"When we go on field trips, we will meet different people.When I introduce you to people, make sure that youremember their names. Then, when we are leaving, makesure to shake their hands and thank them, mentioning theirnames as you do so."

Rule 34
"Whenever you are offered food, whether it be on a buffet ortreats in class, never take more than your fair share. Younever want to be greedy and try to get more than you should,not only because it is wasteful, but also because it isdisrespectful to others when you do not leave enough forthem."

Rule 35
"Whether we are in school or on a field trip, if someone dropssomething, pick it up and hand it back to them. Even if theyare closer to the object, it is only polite to make the gesture of bending down to retrieve the item."

Rule 36
“If you approach a door and someone is following you, holdthe door. If the door opens by pulling, pull it open, stand to theside, and allow the other person to pass through it first, thenyou can walk through. If the door opens by pushing, hold thedoor open after you push through.

"Rule 37
"If we are on a field trip, it is a good idea to complimentsomething about the place where you are visiting. Forexample, if we visit someone's home, it would be a nicegesture to tell them that you think they have nice curtains.People are always self-conscious when they have guests visittheir home, so you want to make them feel at ease.

Rule 38
"During an assembly do not speak and do not look aroundand try to get the attention of your friends in other classes. Wemust uphold an image that shows we have our act together."

Rule 39
“If we are visiting other places, such as a museum or theater, itwould be nice to comment on how beautiful the architecture isor to tell the guide that you think the facility is very nice.”

Rule 40“During an assembly, do not speak and DO NOT look aroundand try to get the attention of your friends in other classes. Wemust uphold an image that shows we have out act together!”

Rule 41

“When you answer the phone at your house, you must do soin an appropriate manner.”

Rule 42
“When we return from a trip, you will shake my hand as wellas the hands of every chaperone. You will thank us for takingthe time to take you on the trip, and you will let us know thatyou appreciate having the opportunity to go. I am notconcerned with being thanked; I am concerned with teachingyou that is it appropriate to show appreciation when someonehas gone out of his or her way to help you.

Rule 43
“When we are on field trips and we have to go up escalators,we will stand to the right. That will give other individuals whoare in a hurry the option of walking up the left-hand side of theescalator. When we are going to enter an elevator, thesubway, or a doorway, we will wait for others to exit before weenter."

Rule 44
"When in a line; walk single file, two to three feet behind theperson in front of you with your arms at your sides. Youshould face forward at all times. There will be absolutely notalking."

Rule 45
“Never cut line. If someone cuts in front of you, do not say ordo anything about it. Let it happen, but let me know about it. Iwill handle the situation. If you fuss with someone who has cut in line, you could get in trouble as well. It’s not worth it; just letme know what happened. Please handle all disputes with other classmates in the same manner, by coming to me withany problems before you take matters into your own hands."

Rule 46
“When we go to a movie theater we do it quietly and respectfully and do not horse around.

Rule 47
"Do not bring Doritos in the school building."

Rule 48
"If any child in this school is bothering you, let me know. I am your teacher, and I am here to look after you and protect you.I am not going to let anyone in this school bully you or makeyou feel uncomfortable. In return, I ask that you not takematters into your own hands; let me deal with the student."

Rule 49
"Stand up for what you believe in. You shouldn't take no for ananswer if your heart and mind are leading you in a directionthat you feel strongly about."

Rule 50
"Be positive and enjoy life. Some things just aren't worthgetting upset over. Keep everything in perspective and focuson the good in your life."

Rule 51
"Live so that you will never have regrets. If there is somethingyou want to do, do it! Never let fear, doubt, or other obstaclesstand in your way. If there is something you want, fight for itwith all of your heart. If there is something you want to do, gofor it and don's stop until you make it happen. If there issomething you want to be, do whatever is necessary in orderto live that dream."

Rule 52
“Accept that you are going to make mistakes. Learn fromthem and move on.”

Rule 53
“No matter what the circumstances, always be honest. Even ifyou have done something wrong, it is best to admit it to me,because I will respect that, and oftentimes I will forget anydisciplinary measures because of your honesty.”

Rule 54
“Carpe Diem. You only live today once, so don’t waste it. Lifeis made up of special moments, many of which happen whencaution is thrown to the wind and people take action and seizethe day.”

Rule 55
“Be the best person you can be.”
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25 February 2010

Its 10.15 pm...mid term break...and yes I DO have no social life. :)

Actually I am just so dog gone excited about my great register class that I had to quickly nip down to class and finish setting up our blog, man o man I think it's gonna rock!

This blog will act as our regular interaction with what the ahem..."band members" of the rockin 8R's were supposed to tell their groupies aka parents as well as a place where we can celebrate eachothers joy and woes.

Cheers
Marius Buys