[Book Excerpt]: The Excellent 11

The Excellent 11
Qualities Teachers and Parents Use to Motivate, Inspire, and Educate
Children
By Ron Clark Published by Hyperion
June 2004; $19.95US/$28.95CAN; 1-4013-0141-X

The Excellent 11

Enthusiasm
Adventure
Creativity
Reflection
Balance
Compassion
Confidence
Humor
Common Sense
Appreciation
Resilience

These are the qualities shared by children who love to learn -- and they're
also the qualities found in teachers and parents who know how to bring out
the joy of learning in any child. Find out how to use them to energize your
home and your classroom!

***

The Excellent 11 are the qualities that children and students embody when
they are passionate about learning -- and about life.

After publishing the New York Times bestseller The Essential 55,
award-winning teacher Ron Clark took his rules on the road and traveled to
schools and districts in 49 states. He met amazing teachers, administrators,
students, parents -- all kinds of people involved in bringing up great kids.
In the best of these people, he noticed the same qualities that he'd
observed in so many of the teachers, children, and parents he'd worked with
during his time teaching in North Carolina and Harlem. These are the
qualities he describes in The Excellent 11.

Ron Clark pinpoints what it takes to make a great student -- and shows that
the qualities apply to both educating children and becoming a great teacher
or parent. You'll find out what the characteristics are, why they work, and
how you can incorporate them into your classroom, home, and life.

As he did with The Essential 55, Ron has filled this book with hundreds of
suggestions, stories, and wonderfully funny anecdotes. You'll be smiling as
you read -- and finding the inspiration to change lives, one student at a
time.

Author

Ron Clark, the author of the bestseller The Essential 55, has been a teacher
since 1995. Originally from North Carolina, he has taught in some of the
most challenging schools in the country, most recently in Harlem, New York.
Since winning the 2001 Disney Teacher of the Year Award, he has spoken to
teachers, PTAS, and school boards across the country. He lives in Atlanta.

For more information, please visit www.ronclark.info, or
www.writtenvoices.com.

Excerpt

The following is an excerpt from the book The Excellent 11: Qualities
Teachers and Parents Use to Motivate, Inspire, and Educate Children

by Ron Clark

Published by Hyperion; June 2004; $19.95US/$28.95CAN; 1-4013-0141-X

Copyright © 2004 Ron Clark

1. Enthusiasm

Your enthusiasm will be infectious, stimulating,

and attractive to others. They will love you for it.

They will go for you and with you.

--Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993)

I list this quality first for a reason. Nothing is more important than
having enthusiasm. If you are a teacher, the students will be excited about
learning a lesson if you are eager and excited about teaching it. If you are
a parent, children will care about things if they see that they mean a lot
to you and that you are energized by them. Children are impressionable, and
when they look to adults for guidance, we must inspire them and motivate
them to want to learn, to have a desire to achieve, and to want to be the
best person they can be.

Enthusiasm is Contagious

The end-of-grade test scores are looked at very closely in North Carolina.
At the end of one school year our faculty and staff were all nervous about
hearing whether our school would be designated "low-performing," just "met
growth," or was an "exemplary school." We were in a financially
disadvantaged area and always felt that we were playing catch-up with our
students, trying our best to get them on grade level. Some years we saw
outstanding growth, but the students, no matter how far they came, didn't
score on level. It was frustrating and demoralizing for all the teachers.
Some individual teachers would get wonderful results with their students,
but we didn't seem able to pull it all together as a school. In my fourth
year at Snowden Elementary, however, the entire school was named an
"exemplary school." It was a huge boost to the teachers and staff, and we
were all so excited that we wanted to do something to show the students how
much their achievements meant to us. The ideas we came up with cost money,
and since it was the end of the year, none of our plans seemed possible on
such short notice. A group of us started talking about how neat it would be
to have a teacher talent show as a salute to the students. We would dress up
as our favorite musical stars from the sixties, seventies, eighties, or
nineties and lip-sync before the entire body of students from
pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. I have this thing about
surprises, so we agreed that we wouldn't tell the students what was going
on; we would just take them to the gym-atorium one day and give them a huge
shock!

Our idea was great, but there was a problem: Many teachers didn't want to do
it. They felt the students would lose respect for them and they would look
foolish. They said it was too much work, they didn't have a costume or know
the words to any songs, and they had no time to practice. In addition, if
all the teachers were backstage, there would be no one to watch the
students. There was a great deal of pessimism and a lack of morale. On the
other hand, the small group of teachers I was working with was enthusiastic
and excited about the show, and they kept at it, encouraging other teachers,
helping them find costumes, and getting the music together.

One teacher, Mrs. Bagalour, was very negative. She wasn't one of the
students' favorite teachers, because she basically just sat at her desk all
day, earning the student nickname for her of "Mrs. Bag-of-flour." She said
there was no way she was getting on the stage, but I knew the kids would
love it if she participated. A small group of teachers was going to perform
"Charlie Brown," and I suggested to Mrs. Bagalour that she sit at a desk,
play the part of a student, and throw paper at the teacher along with the
other "students." It took a lot of persuading, but she finally agreed.

Slowly but surely the enthusiastic teachers started to spread their energy
around to the other faculty members. We reminded everyone what the show was
for and told them how much it would affect the students. We showed them how
excited we were about the show and put a little pressure on them to take
part. As they heard about the great ideas others had and the effort they
were putting into their performance, some of them wanted to become part of
the show. As everyone was getting involved and everyone became more excited,
no one wanted to be left out.

There was one last obstacle: A teacher named Mrs. Brokard said she wasn't
going to perform because she wanted a certain rendition of the song she was
singing, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and no one could find it. She said
she knew all the words to it, and if that rendition was found, she would put
on the show of a lifetime. If it wasn't found, she would not participate.
Good grief, the drama. Luckily, my dad used to be a disc jockey in the
seventies, and I found myself looking through boxes and boxes of his old
albums. When I finally found that song, I felt as if I had actually climbed
a mountain myself. I walked in the next morning and showed the record to
Mrs. Brokard. She looked a little shocked, a little scared, and a little
worried, but she also looked a little excited.

Soon the day came for the show. As with any school, word had spread that
something was going on, but the students couldn't figure out what it was.
The students had caught a few glimpses during the week: a feather boa
sticking out of Mrs. Woolard's car trunk; teachers passing cassette tapes
back and forth; Mrs. Wilson staring into space while bobbing her head and
making short movements with her feet; and everyone on the faculty walking
with a bit of spirit and excitement. We told our students at lunchtime that
they would be going to the gym later for a surprise but that any misbehavior
whatsoever would ruin it for everyone. Parents and substitutes watched our
classes while we transformed ourselves behind the stage. Soon the
extravaganza began. When the curtain opened, the students were informed that
they were about to witness a presentation in their honor for their
outstanding efforts that year. They were told it was a gift from the
teachers because they appreciated each and every one of them and that they
were doing this because they cared for all the students of Snowden. And then
came the magic. Teachers who never seemed to show enthusiasm or spark were
standing before the students, dressed to the nines, dancing and singing
away. Mrs. Sawyer was transformed into Diana Ross. Mrs. Jones shocked
everyone as Olivia Newton-John from Grease. Mrs. Zurface joined with three
others to form the Spice Girls, a crowd favorite. And Mrs. Brokard walked
out to cheers as she sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." You know, after
all that effort, she didn't really know all the words, but she sure put on a
show, grinning from ear to ear and working that song. The kids absolutely
loved it, and their behavior was perfect -- clapping loudly, paying
attention, and showing respectful gratitude with several standing ovations.

Something was different about our school after that day. We were all a
little closer, everyone seemed much happier, and our discipline problems
went down drastically. Some said that the students wouldn't respect them if
they sang and danced like that, but, on the contrary, they seemed to respect
and appreciate us a lot more.

Enthusiasm is a powerful thing, and it is contagious. When you can use
energy, excitement, and a spark to motivate others, you are affecting more
people than you can ever know. Those students in Aurora still talk about
that show we put on. They say they will never forget it. Whether you are a
parent or a teacher, use your enthusiasm to motivate others and affect as
many kids as possible. Don't take no for an answer, and when you come across
those individuals who stand in your way, do whatever it takes to climb that
mountain and take them with you.

Copyright © 2004 Ron Clark

For more information, please visit www.ronclark.info, or
www.writtenvoices.com.