The End of Molasses Classes

Getting Our Kids Unstuck - 101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers

By: Ron Clark

Narrated by: Ron Clark

Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

A new book from the award-winning teacher and best-selling author, Ron Clark, providing rules for parents and teachers to help kids succeed in school.

<

©2011 Ron L. Clark, Inc. All rights reserved. (P)2011 Simon & Schuster Audio

Unexpected Outcomes

Would you consider the audio edition of The End of Molasses Classes to be better than the print version?

I think there are benefits to both. This is read by the author, who is from North Carolina. Hearing his stories in his own voice, with his own expression and personality (and adorable accent) was something that I think really helped me to love this book. I will also buy a print version of this book, because there are a lot of ideas I want to bookmark to refer back to and use.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I'm not sure this question applies to this book, but there are characters in this story - Ron Clark, his teaching staff, his students, and the parents of his students. What I really like about Ron is that he pushes himself to think beyond what is typically done, and reaches a little farther to solve problems we all face. He recognizes his ideas are often impractical and outlandish, and he collaborates with his co-director and teaching staff to make an impossibility a reality. He has a knack for thinking of ideas that engage the children and make a lasting impression. Something else that was very valuable in this audio version -- the narrators are not just Ron Clark. Ron includes many parents and students perspectives in the book as he tells stories that go with each strategy. Whether the speakers were the authors of those points of view or not (knowing Ron, I bet they were the authors), hearing those stories in parent and child voices was entertaining and powerful.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved a story that Ron told about a time when he made an assumption about why a boy was acting a certain way, how he dealt with the boy, and then asked the boy if he would write about his recollection of the same event. It was captivating to see how different the boy and the teacher saw the same situation. It was great to hear how Ron resolved this, even if it was many years later. The concept of teachers making assumptions about why kids do what they do was a powerful message for me.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

You will hear A LOT about the Ron Clark Academy in this book. Accept that. If you get annoyed by that, you will not enjoy this book. I happened to come to enjoy it, thinking of the school as an ideal, something for a public school to aspire to. Visit youtube and search for the RCA and see the children and teachers doing what he talks about. It brings another level of connection to the stories. Visit the RCA webpage and you will see a lot of what he talks about in action. You can see photos of their events and what he did for the winning team this past year. The idea for me, is BE INSPIRED and do something. Anything. Just don't do nothing.

The other big idea that has resonated with me since I finished this book a few weeks ago is that the worst thing is for students to feel like they have disappointed their teachers. We have to remember how fragile they are, even if they have a gritty exterior in whatever form it comes. It's ok to crack that exterior, and let them know if they have really messed up, but then we need to be willing to help them get past that and guide them in what they can do next. There will be a few children in our career that we cannot help, no matter what we offer, but at some point many of those kids do turn around. We may never see that turn around, but by being there and providing opportunities and tough love, we are part of a collective of support that made the difference.

Any additional comments?

Let's be clear. I was a Ron Clark skeptic. I read his last book and was annoyed by the overstatement of the obvious, "listen to your students." kind of advice. He laid it on thick. He was a used car salesmen and I was not buying. I really think you have to be in the right frame of mind to hear his message. It's easy for us teachers to tilt our head in annoyance when someone says they have the key to anything in education. We are tired of hearing it. There is no one way to fix any problem whether it be instructional, organizational or behavioral. If there is one thing I have learned in 7 years of teaching, it's that you are your best when you are flexible, emotionally intelligent, relaxed and completely open minded. The rest just comes. This is how you have to approach Ron's ideas. Many of them are not possible in the regular public school environment, but that doesn't mean we should dismiss it completely. I found elements of almost everything he has done that I could use now, or at some point, given some collaboration.

Entertaining & Motivating for Teacher and Sister

Where does The End of Molasses Classes rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the best audio book so far because the speaker is the author and he is very entertaining.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Favorite parts is when he tells stories about himself and his students which cause me to want to do more with my students.

What about Ron Clark’s performance did you like?

His story telling is great. I listened to the whole book in two sittings but have continually listened after the first time.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book makes me laugh, feel sadness during parts of it, but most motivates me to implement the possible strategies into my classes.

Any additional comments?

I am so very glad that I purchased this book. I have taught many years but I am not where I want to be in my profession. I will be implementing some of his strategies even though I teach high school. I want to be radical in my attempt to get the students engaged, because of the book, I believe that I can make a difference.

AWESOME!!! IF YOU ARE AN EDUCATOR READ THIS BOOK!

AWESOME!!! IF YOU ARE AN EDUCATOR READ THIS BOOK! I RATED THIS BOOK 5 STARS ONLY BECAUSE 10 WAS NOT AN OPTION.

Ron is an inspiration

Where does The End of Molasses Classes rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of my best books so far. As educational awareness goes. I wholeheartedly agree with Ron's point of view on behavior in the classroom and towards teachers in general. Your a great person Ron.

What other book might you compare The End of Molasses Classes to and why?

Another book that I like is Spark the revolution. With those two viewpoints in the baggage any teacher can be magnificent.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The genuine interaction and the true effort Ron puts into he’s students move me every time I hear this book (four times now)

Any additional comments?

Don't ever stop being a teacher. Please, the world needs your attention.

Great until the heart breaking chapter

When I was first listening to this audiobook, I loved it. Ron Clark’s passion pulled me in. He made me believe in being an amazing teacher with energy and passion. His ideas and stories could often be over the top and too extravagant for most public school teachers. The passion and dedication he has for teaching is obviously. There are good ideas in this book.
My feelings for this book changed as I arrived at chapter 84. What he said made me completely stop in my tracks and lose respect for him. Chapter 84 states, “I always say that the average teacher’s salary needs to be one hundred thousand dollars a year. That range would entice the best college prospects to give our profession strong consideration. Currently we are on average seeing only the bottom third of graduates choose education as a career and the best countries educationally have the best and brightest teachers,” and “As I have traveled across the country I will often ask administrators what percentage of their staff they would replace if given the choice. I tell them there will be no hurt feelings, lawsuits, or drama, I’m just curious. The typical answer is about 70 percent.”
This chapter is devastating. It was horrible to hear that he believes most teachers in our country are not the best and brightest and need to be replaced. I do not understand why he would need to ask administrators how many of their teachers they would fire.
Administrators make or break a teacher. I believe that under positive encouraging leadership all teachers can thrive. If we believe that all students can learn, shouldn’t all teachers be able to learn as well. “Bad” teachers need support, not the threat of being fired. This attitude from administrators across our country and Ron Clark is very discouraging. How can we expect lawmakers to believe in us when our own leaders don’t believe in us?
If you ignore that chapter, his book was great.

What an inspiring book!

I wish I had read this book when I returned to get my education degree. The passion is contagious!

Absolutely loved this audio book!

I loved this book and listening to the author read it made it more special.

Incredibly Motivating & Inspirational!

Ron Clark, Kim Bearden, the RCA staff, and the RCA students are proof that hard work and determination can make any dream come true. As an educator of 11 years, everything that is RCA-related fuels my passion to teach my first graders and provide a creative, loving, hard working classroom environment. Thank you Mr. Clark for all of your advice and encouragement!

Get Ready to Get Motivated!

Where does The End of Molasses Classes rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was by far my favorite AudioBook.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the truth in what Ron Clark had to say.

Which character – as performed by Ron Clark – was your favorite?

Ron's Narration made it memorable and his personality shined throughout the book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed and cried and make connections with his students.

Any additional comments?

This book really energizes parents and teachers!

Teachers Give 100%

Would you listen to The End of Molasses Classes again? Why?

Once is enough, but it was fun.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ron, I appreciated his stories about reaching all students and rethinking our educational system.

What does Ron Clark bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Personal stories with warmth and humor.

Any additional comments?

This book has great examples and interesting stories, but it does relate to the Charter School model, FYI.