APS Teachers Visit The Ron Clark Academy

Lori's Reflection

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The most exciting part of my day was seeing electric energy in action. We saw Ron at the opening symposium but imagine having 100s of kids walking, jumping, skipping, breathing and drinking in the magic. I want some. I kept thinking, “Is this real or are they faking it?” Yes, it is real, and Ron and his staff shared their magic. Even when you're tired and want to throw in the towel . . . faking it at times, if you must, until it becomes real . . . teaching the kids to own it, building supports on many layers with structures from consequences and having high expectations and a positive attitude are foundational parts of the magic.

Many APS educators already use the strategy call and response. It is used as a learning tool to call attention, transition activities, and energize students. Ron Clark gave us call and response ideas, as did many other Ron Clark Academy (RCA) teachers. When using call and response it is important to use correct pause, set the expectation of student participation and consistently reinforce call and response with high expectations every day.

Mrs. Bearden, co-founder of the Ron Clark Academy and RCA teacher, has many ideas on how to transform classrooms in order to engage students. Your classroom can become an operating room, a café, the Aurora Borealis, or a snow scape with minimal money, a little creativity and effort. We, as educators, need to get excited about teaching and share that excitement with students in order to inspire them and make student engagement a priority.

Once you rock it out, others will join and the kids will benefit!

-Lori Hale

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Memorable RCA Quotes

Education should be young, fun, sexy and hot.

Don't put all the stuff on the shelf in your basket. Pick a few items that fit your personality and use them in your classroom.

Pour yourself into your kids when you teach, get to know them - and the payback in learning will be grand.

Teaching to the top brings others where they too belong.

Passion can take many forms, but when you exude it, people are drawn to it. (It's not only about jumping on a table.)

If you want the outcome of the game to change, you need to change the way you play it.

RCA App

The Ron Clark App is available for Android and iPhone for anyone to download.

Essential 55 Rules

Students at RCA follow Ron Clark's Essential 55 Rules

Throughout the day, educator observers interacted with students - eating lunch with students, being welcomed by students, having time to talk with students. Students shared that the first day of class was devoted to discussing what they would learn throughout the year and going over the 55 essential rules. All of the rules are explained to them. They role-play the rules so they understand them better. The culture of the school is sound with the 55 rules clearly being enforced.

Click here for a list of the 55 Essential Rules! Ron Clark wrote a book called The Essential 55: An Award-Winning Educator's Rules for Discovering the Successful Student in Every Child. Check it out!

Student Lead Learning in a Mathematics Class

APS Spirit

Outside the doors of the Ron Clark Academy! A little APS spirit.

When entering the doors, music was blaring, students and adults were singing and dancing. All those entering were given high-fives, hugs and pats on the back. It was an amazing welcome to the start of our day of learning!