THE RON CLARK STORY

 

 

Ron Clark has been a teacher since 1995. Originally, from North Carolina, he has taught in some of the most difficult schools in the country, including Harlem, NY. Since winning the 2001 Disney Teacher of the Year Award, he has spoken to teachers, PTAs, and school boards across the country.

 

Ron Clark wrote the book The Essential 55, which is a collection of the amazing effective rules that Ron Clark used to become an extraordinary teacher. Through trial and error, this teacher has distilled fifty-five ideas that have helped him take apathetic students in some of the country’s most challenging areas and transform them into award-winning scholars.

Here are some of the ideas that he says are essential for kids to learn:

Make eye contact; Respect other’s ideas and opinions; Do not save seats; Say thank you within three seconds of receiving something; When you win, do not brag; when you lose, do not show anger; Do your homework each and every night without fail; Do not talk in a movie theater; Be the best person you can be; Always be honest; If you are asked a question in a conversation, ask a question in return; Perform random acts of kindness; Learn the names of all the teachers in the school and greet them; If someone bumps into you, even if it was not your fault, say excuse me; Stand up for what you believe in.

Currently, Mr. Clark is working for the fall of 2007 opening of The Ron Clark Academy, a new school serving low-wealth students from inner-city Atlanta. The privately-funded institution will truly be unique for its innovative teaching methods and curriculum based on worldwide travel. Each year the students, grades 5 through 8, will apply what they've learned in class during international adventures, and by the time they graduate each child will have visited six of the seven continents. Teachers from around the world are invited to visit the Academy to learn more about the innovative and "out-of-the-box" methods for achieving student success.

WEBSITES:

http://www.ronclark.info/About_Ron_Clark/                
Click on Video at the bottom of the web page.
http://www.ronclark.info/Photos_Videos/videos.asp
Other videos about Ron Clark.
http://www.ronclark.info/Teacher_Resources/rap_lessons.asp
Rap Lessons Ron Clark uses.

QUESTIONS:

 

  1. In the first scenes, what made Ron Clark want to start teaching?

 

 

  1. Why did Ron Clark leave North Carolina and go to Harlem in New York City?

 

 

  1. Who did Ron Clark want to meet in Harlem before he started teaching at Inner Harlem Elementary School?

 

  1. What was his Rule #1?

 

  1. What did Ron Clark do when the students trashed his classroom?

 

 

 

  1. What playground game did the students teach Ron Clark?

 

 

  1. How did Ron Clark motivate the students to watch his grammar lesson?

 

 

 

  1. Discuss two other motivational methods that Ron Clark used in his classroom.

 

 

 

  1. What did Ron Clark use to help the students learn about the Presidents of the United States?

 

 

  1. Discuss one thing that Ron Clark did after school was out for the day to help some students learn.

 

 

  1. What were the results of the state exam that Ron Clark’s students took?

 

 

  1. What are two things that you think really made a difference in Ron Clark’s classroom that helped the students be very successful.

 

a.

 

 

 

b.