55 Rules

“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 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 agame 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 withSarah. 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 “Iwasn’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 inyou.

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 donot say itwithin 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 out of your way to do something surprisinglykind 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, inconversation 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 ofpraise. 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...