Ron Clark's Essential 55

Rule 1

When responding to any adult, you must answer by saying

“Yes ma’am” or “No sir.” Just nodding your head or saying

any other form of yes or no is not acceptable.

Rule 2

Make eye contact. When someone is speaking, keep your

eyes on him or her at all times. If someone makes a

comment, 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 least

three seconds in length with the full part of both hands

meeting in a manner that will give the appropriate clap

volume.

Rule 4

During discussions, respect other students’ comments,

opinions, and ideas. When possible, make statements like, “I

agree with John, and I also feel that…” or “I disagree with

Sarah. She made a good point I feel that…” or “I think Victor

made an excellent observation, and it made me realize…”

Rule 5

If you win or do well at something, do not brag. If you lose, do

not show anger. Instead, say something like, “I really enjoyed

the competition, and I look forward to playing you again,” or

“good game,” or don’t say anything at all. To show anger or

sarcasm, such as “I wasn’t playing hard anyway” or “You

really aren’t that good,” shows weakness. 

Rule 6

If you are asked a question in conversation, you should ask a

question 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 in

them as they are in you.

Rule 7

“When you cough or sneeze or burp, it is appropriate to turn

your head away from others and cover your mouth with the

full 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 show

disrespect with gestures.”

Rule 9

“Always say thank you when I give you something. If you do

not say it within 3 seconds after receiving the item, I will take it

back. There is no excuse for not showing appreciation.”

Rule 10

“When you are given something from someone, never insult

that person by making negative comments about the gift or by

insinuating that it wasn’t appreciated”

Rule 11

“Surprise others by performing random acts of kindness. Go

our of your way to do something surprisingly kind and

generous 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 an

incorrect grade, whether it is higher or lower than they

deserve, the amount the grade differs from the actual grade

will be deducted from your paper. The only marks you are

allowed to make on others’ papers are an “X” and the number

they got incorrect.”

Rule 13

“When we read together in class, you must follow along. If I

call on you to read, you must know exactly where we are and

begin to read immediately”

Rule 14

“Answer all questions with a complete sentence. For

example, if the question asks, “What is the capital of Russia?”

you should respond by writing, “The capital of Russia is

Moscow.” Also, in conversation with others, it is important to

use complete sentences out of respect for the person’s

question. 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 good

behavior, academic performances and other acts worthy of

praise. If you ever ask me for a reward, however, it will not be

given. It is rude to ask if you are getting something for good

behavior. You should be good and try your best because you

are trying to better yourself, not because you are anticipating

a reward. I usually give some sort of reward to everyone who

scores 100 on unit tests. If you make 100 and ask if you are

getting something, no one who made 100 will be given

anything.”

Rule 16

“Homework will be turned in each day for each subject by

every student with no exceptions.” Rule 17

“When we are in transition from one subject to the other, the

change will be swift, quiet and orderly. We should be

consistently able to turn from one book to another, complete

with all homework and necessary materials, as quickly as

possible. The opportune amount of time to spend in transition

should be less than ten seconds, and we will work toward a

goal 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 or

complaining. This will result in a doubled assignment.”

Rule 20

“While you are with a substitute teacher, you will obey the

same rules that you follow when I am with you. (I know this is

hard, but it is important.)”

Rule 21

“We will follow certain classroom protocols. We will be

organized, efficient, and on task. In order to do so, we will

follow 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. Do

not ask me if 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 the

school and greet them by saying things like, "Good

morning Mrs. Graham," or "Good afternoon Ms. Ortiz.

That is a very pretty dress." (Note: If you are in

line with the rest of class, you are not allowed to

speak to the teachers at that time because the

no-talking rule is in effect. You should speak to

other teachers if you are entering or leaving the

school, on recess, on an errand, or changing classes.)

Rule 24

"Flush the toilet and wash your hands after using the rest

room. When in a public rest room, get a paper towel before

washing your hands. After washing your hands, use the paper

towel to turn off the faucets and to press the dispenser to get

another paper towel to dry your hands. (Or use the towel to

press the button to start the dryer.) The last thing you want to

do is touch areas with clean hands that others have touched

with dirty hands."

Rule 25

"We will often have visitors to our school. If someone is

coming to visit our class, I will send two students to the front

door of the building. You will have a sign welcoming the

person. When our visitor arrives, you will shake hands, tell

him or her who you are, and welcome the person to our

school. You will then take the visitor on a small tour of the

building before bringing him or her to the classroom."

Rule 26

“Do not save seats in the lunchroom. If someone wants to sit

down, let him or her. Do not try to exclude anyone. We are a

family, and we must treat one another with respect and

kindness.” 

Rule 27

“If I or any other teacher in school is speaking to or

disciplining a student, do not look at that student. You

wouldn’t want others looking at you if you were in trouble or

being reprimanded, so don’t look at others in that situation. If

you are the student I am talking to, do not get angry or fuss at

students who are looking at you. Let me know and I will

handle the situation.”

Rule 28

"If you have a question about your homework, you may call

me. If I am not there to answer the phone, please leave a

message 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 must

follow: I call these my ABC’s of Etiquette.

A. When you first sit down for a meal, immediately place you

napkin in your lap. If you silverware is wrapped in a napkin,

unwrap it as soon as you sit down and place the napkin in

your lap.

B. When you are finished eating, place your napkin on the table

to the left of your plate. Place it loosely beside the plate. Don’t

crumple it, because you don’t want to seem untidy. Don’t fold

it too neatly, because you don’t want the restaurant to think

you assume they are going to use it again. Never leave your

napkin on your chair. This implies that the napkin is too dirty

to be left on the table. Also, in some cultures, leaving the

napkin on the chair is known as a way to say that you don’t

intend 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 the

purpose of cleaning your fingers. There is no need to lick

yourself 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 place

a hand over their mouth and talk anyway. Don’t do that. Wait

until you have swallowed your food to speak.

I. If something is caught in your teeth, don’t go in after it; wait

until 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, DO

NOT pick it up. It is very rude and unsanitary to place

something on the table that has been on the floor. If you pick

up something that has dropped and hand it to a waiter, then

you will need to excuse yourself and wash your hands before

continuing with your meal. The best way to handle a situation

when something has dropped on the floor is to ask a waiter for

a 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. Pizza

2. Bacon

3. Cookies

4. Bread (Always tear off a bite-sized piece to eat. If you

are going to use butter, never butter the whole piece of bread;

butter the piece you tore off, and eat that before tearing

another piece.)

5. Corn on the cob (It is appropriate to eat across instead

of eating around.)

6. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches (including

breakfast biscuits)

7. French fries and chips

8. Fried chicken

9. 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. You

should 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 begin

eating until everyone at the table has received food. Q. You should never complain if the line is too long, the food isn’t

good, or if there is a wait. You don’t want to be negative to the

point where you spoil the enjoyment of the event for others.

R. If you are unsure which silverware to use, simply start with the

fork, knife or spoon that is the farthest from your plate. On the

left, you will have your salad fork on the outside and your

dinner fork on the inside. On the far right, you will have your

soupspoon. Beside it you will have the spoon you will use to

stir your coffee or tea, then your salad knife, and then your

dinner knife. The utensils above your plate are to be used for

dessert.

S. When you are finished eating, do not push your plate away

from you. Leave it where it is in the setting. If you want to

show you have finished eating, you should lay your fork and

knife together diagonally across the plate. You should place

the fork with the tines down, and you should have the sharp

side of the knife facing down. Of the two utensils, the fork

should be closest to you.

T. Never place a piece of silverware that you have used back on

the table. Leave it on a plate or saucer.

U. If you didn’t use a utensil, do not place it on a plate or saucer

when 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 he

introduces himself to you. Use his name as often as possible

throughout the course of the meal.

X. If you have to go to the rest room, you should stand up and

say, “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 like

for your salad?” it is best to ask, “What are my options?” That

way, you aren’t going through a process of naming things the

restaurant might not have.

Z. Never talk to waiters or waitresses as if they are servants.

Treat them with respect and kindness, and remember, they

are the ones who are fixing food and bringing it to you. You do

not want to be on the bad side of a waiter.” Rule 30

“After we eat, we will clean up after ourselves. This includes

cleaning off the tables and making sure we haven’t left any

trash on the floor or around the eating area. It is important to

be responsible for your trash no matter where you are and to

be sure not to litter.”

Rule 31

"When we stay in a hotel room, it is appropriate to leave a tip

on the pillow for the hotel workers who are responsible for

cleaning the room after our stay. Two to three dollars per night

is an appropriate amount, depending on the cost of the room."

Rule 32

“When we ride on a bus, we will always sit facing forward. We

will never turn around to talk to other students, stick anything

out of the windows, or get out of our seats. When we exit the

bus, we will always thank the bus driver and tell him to have a

good day.”

Rule 33

"When we go on field trips, we will meet different people.

When I introduce you to people, make sure that you

remember their names. Then, when we are leaving, make

sure to shake their hands and thank them, mentioning their

names as you do so."

Rule 34

"Whenever you are offered food, whether it be on a buffet or

treats in class, never take more than your fair share. You

never want to be greedy and try to get more than you should,

not only because it is wasteful, but also because it is

disrespectful to others when you do not leave enough for

them."

Rule 35

"Whether we are in school or on a field trip, if someone drops

something, pick it up and hand it back to them. Even if they

are 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, hold

the door. If the door opens by pulling, pull it open, stand to the

side, and allow the other person to pass through it first, then

you can walk through. If the door opens by pushing, hold the

door open after you push through."

Rule 37

"If we are on a field trip, it is a good idea to compliment

something about the place where you are visiting. For

example, if we visit someone's home, it would be a nice

gesture to tell them that you think they have nice curtains.

People are always self-conscious when they have guests visit

their home, so you want to make them feel at ease. Also, if we

are visiting other places, such as a museum or theater, it

would be nice to comment on how beautiful the architecture is

or to tell the guide that you think the facility is very nice."

Rule 38

"During an assembly do not speak and do not look around

and try to get the attention of your friends in other classes. We

must uphold an image that shows we have our act together."

Rule 39

“If we are on a field trip, it is a good idea to compliment

something about the place where we are visiting. For

example, if we visit someone’s home, it would be a nice

gesture to tell them that you think they have nice curtains.

People are always self-conscious when they have guests visit

their home, so you want to make them feel at ease. Also, if we

are visiting other places, such as a museum or theater, it

would be nice to comment on how beautiful the architecture is

or to tell the guide that you think the facility is very nice.” Rule 40

“During an assembly, do not speak and DO NOT look around

and try to get the attention of your friends in other classes. We

must uphold an image that shows we have out act together!”

Rule 41

“When you answer the phone at your house, you must do so

in an appropriate manner.”

Rule 42

“When we return from a trip, you will shake my hand as well

as the hands of every chaperone. You will thank us for taking

the time to take you on the trip, and you will let us know that

you appreciate having the opportunity to go. I am not

concerned with being thanked; I am concerned with teaching

you that is it appropriate to show appreciation when someone

has 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 who

are in a hurry the option of walking up the left-hand side of the

escalator. When we are going to enter an elevator, the

subway, or a doorway, we will wait for others to exit before we

enter."

Rule 44

"When in a line; walk single file, two to three feet behind the

person in front of you with your arms at your sides. You

should face forward at all times. There will be absolutely no

talking."

Rule 45

“Never cut line. If someone cuts in front of you, do not say or

do anything about it. Let it happen, but let me know about it. I

will 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 let

me know what happened. Please handle all disputes with other classmates in the same manner, by coming to me with

any problems before you take matters into your own hands."

Rule 46

“When we go to a movie theater, there will be no talking."

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 make

you feel uncomfortable. In return, I ask that you not take

matters 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 an

answer if your heart and mind are leading you in a direction

that you feel strongly about."

Rule 50

"Be positive and enjoy life. Some things just aren't worth

getting upset over. Keep everything in perspective and focus

on the good in your life."

Rule 51

"Live so that you will never have regrets. If there is something

you want to do, do it! Never let fear, doubt, or other obstacles

stand in your way. If there is something you want, fight for it

with all of your heart. If there is something you want to do, go

for it and don's stop until you make it happen. If there is

something you want to be, do whatever is necessary in order

to live that dream."

Rule 52

“Accept that you are going to make mistakes. Learn from

them and move on.” Rule 53

“No matter what the circumstances, always be honest. Even if

you have done something wrong, it is best to admit it to me,

because I will respect that, and oftentimes I will forget any

disciplinary measures because of your honesty.”

Rule 54

“Carpe Diem. You only live today once, so don’t waste it. Life

is made up of special moments, many of which happen when

caution is thrown to the wind and people take action and seize

the day.”

Rule 55

“Be the best person you can be.”