On Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 11 teachers, Mrs. Phillips, and I traveled to Atlanta to see award winning teacher Ron Clark. I first saw Ron speak after he had won the Disney Teacher of the Year award. He was one of the most inspiring, enthusiastic teachers I had ever met. This past summer, I had the opportunity to hear him again at a conference. He shared with the audience that he had opened a school in Atlanta, Georgia. At that time I thought how wonderful it would be for new teachers to observe Ron Clark- see his excitement and learn about his different approach to teaching. In August, I made a reservation for our teachers to attend. We began by reading his book, The Essential 55. This book explains 55 expectations teachers and students should demonstrate in the classroom and in life. We watched several clips of Ron as he appeared on Oprah and on nightly news shows. We all anxiously awaited our March 5th trip. I met the teachers at 5 a.m. yesterday morning at SHS to begin our travels. We arrived at the Ron Clark Academy at 8:00 a.m. for one of the best experiences of our lives. There, in one of the toughest parts of town, is the most amazing school I have ever seen. We spent the day observing teachers and students. We ended our day sliding down the slide in the front lobby- we became "slide certified." People magazine was visiting the school today to do a story....
No comments:
Post a Comment