Mariela Rodriguez

Mrs. Wendy Hamm

EDU 402

27 September 2018

The Ron Clark Academy: An Experience

Ron Clark never even thought about being a teacher but once he became one, he was

great at it! He knew that education needed a change and he wanted to be part of that change.

He cofounded, along with Kim Bearden, the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. This school

was founded with aspirations to educate children in unheard of ways. They set off on a pathway

to making a difference. With his books, The Essential 55 and The End of Molasses Classes and

the RCA, Ron Clark has been introduced and changing the way that teachers, and parents even,

educate children.

In his book, The End of Molasses Classes, Clark first mentions that we should encourage

students, believe in them, and to never destroy their dreams. We have continuously talked

about the power that we, as teachers, have in inspiring and reassuring students to become the

best they can be and DO the best they can. Being able to one day inspire and push at least one

student to be great will be truly rewarding. This profession is not easy and more than one day I

am sure I will want to quit but knowing that I can help them will for sure keep me going. Seeing

the potential in each child goes hand in hand with this. The way we talk to and about the

children affects them more than we realize.

In today’s society, we have raised children to believe that they all deserve a prize, they

all want a trophy, they all want that cookie. Clark, and Mrs. Hamm’s classes, believe that they
do not all deserve one. It is true. We do not need to always reward every student. Not even for

good behavior, that is given. They should WANT to do good, be great, regardless if they will be

rewarded or not.

Going the extra mile for the students will mean everything and more to them. Clark talks

about the meaning behind it and what the students get from it. They know that by doing

everything you do; you care about them. Showing them that you care can go a very long way in

building a relationship with them and maintaining it. I think that it is so important to be able to

have that relationship with them. Clark constantly pursues those relationships not just with

students but their families as well.

In The Ron Clark Story movie, Clark, played by Mathew Perry, is showed throughout his

journey of becoming a teacher in North Carolina and then in Harlem. In NC, he was able to raise

the students’ test scores tremendously. When he moved to Harlem, there was an opportunity

for him to teach a ‘good’ class but instead he decided to go with the lowest one. He knew that

the one with low test scores, bad behaviors, and numerous other problems needed him more

than any other students. He wanted to make a difference. I want to make a difference one day.

I aspire to one day be able to go above and beyond for my students. The movie touched on the

hardships that not only he went through but also of the students. He helped those students be

able to overcome them and raise those test scores just as he sought out to do so.

In the RCA, Clark, and his staff, enforce the essential 55 throughout the school, every

day. They hold the students to very high standards and expect greatness from each one. The

level of focus, engagement, pride, and passion throughout the school is incredible! Being able

to have all the students engaged and active in class is amazing. Clark talks about and inspires
myself and many other to be the revolution, to be the change we want in education. We should

want to change and inspire the students.

Engagement will definitely be at the top of my list for my future class. I want to be able

to effectively engage students and maintain that engagement. Clark and Bearden talk about

having music, movement, and magic in the classroom. These three factors have proven to be

very effective at the RCA and I intend on using those in the future. I do believe that in a ‘regular,

public’ school classroom, it would not be possible to teach on desks but on a smaller scale,

anything is possible. Having different methods to engage the students and keep it are vital to

keep them motivated and never bored.

In Mrs. Bush’s 1st grade class, at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, I think that better

classroom management skills could definitely improve the class setting. The children are very

disruptive and do not seem to care about being at school or learning. They cannot easily

transition from activity to active, walk in a straight, quiet line, or even keep focus on what they

are doing. If she was able to have better control over them, they could do these things.

Ron Clark has inspired many through his books and opening the doors of RCA to

teachers everywhere. By allowing teachers to see how he looks at teaching and what he does,

he gives teachers everywhere the skills needed to slowly but surely be a change that the

education system needs. He is truly inspirational and talented and being able to have learned

about him and met him has definitely been a great addition to my education and training to

becoming a teacher.