My Teaching Guru: Ron Clark
One leader I admire is Ron Clark. He is a teacher originally from North Carolina who moved to Harlem, New York, to work in some of the hardest schools with low funding and low test scores in the late 1990s. He later went on to become the 2001 Disney Teacher of the Year and a movie was even made about him. I came to love him after reading his first book "The Essential 55." It remains one of my favorite books to date. The Essential 55 are 55 rules that are useful in finding success within a classroom. Some are more simple than others, such as Rule #9 "Always say thank you when given something" whereas others are more difficult for students to learn and follow such as Rule #19, "When homework is assigned, do not moan or complain" or Rule #17 "Subject transitions will be swift, quiet, and orderly." Each rule is about 2-3 small pages long and all rules have a story/anecdote that follows. What I admire about his approach is that he treats his students with dignity through modeling and then he tries to show them and teach them etiquette and how to reverse the stereotypes other put onto them. He teaches them to treat everyone around them, fellow students, chaperones, substitute teachers, any adult really, with dignity, by looking them in the eye, using their full and proper name, shaking their hand, etc. While 55 may seem excessive, and some of the rules are structural, the last 8 are more holistic; for instance, Rule #49 is "Stand up for what you believe in" and Rule #52 is "Learn from your mistakes and move on." What I appreciate about his approach is that school is still student-focused and yet he focuses on the small things that I think sometimes fall through the cracks-- the manners and etiquette that parents nowadays don't seem to think they need to pass on to their student(s).
His second book, "The Excellent 11" focuses on the qualities teacher and parents should have in order to motivate and inspire students/children. Beginning with enthusiasm, and including creativity, compassion, reflection, confidence, humor, and common sense, he again, uses his personal stories as well as rationale as to why these qualities and important and the effects that translate to the students. He is relateable and not lofty. He was a teacher himself, not just an author or college professor of Education; he went to the hardest places and he became likeable and used his practical sensibilities to make huge impacts.
What I like about Ron Clark most was that he didn't let anyone else dissuade him from his approach. He was confident in the way he would reach kids and he never gave up, even when things got hairy or difficult. He kept his students at the center and he got them to trust him and it allowed his students to see their own potential. He was an individual trying to change the system as one, not as a team of friends or colleagues, but he took things on himself. I see that in myself a lot. At my current school, our departments are isolated and collaboration and technology integration isn't high on people's priority lists like it is mine. I continue to try and push the envelope of what is possible and create new projects and lessons that push students to see the world differently and not through the reading of a textbook. I deliberately work to find ways to help them share their voices and be their authentic selves. I get goofy and I try and work with students one on one to create reachable goals for them and I praise their efforts as much as possible. I am their advocate and ear as much as I am their teacher. I don't like the word NO and I often disregard it if I can. I push myself and my students to treat others with respect (although with social media, this piece is becoming more difficult) and to see the humanity in every person. I like that he sees the "small things" as being "big things" in the endgame of life. Teaching students to be kind, generous, and helpful will go a long way.
His second book, "The Excellent 11" focuses on the qualities teacher and parents should have in order to motivate and inspire students/children. Beginning with enthusiasm, and including creativity, compassion, reflection, confidence, humor, and common sense, he again, uses his personal stories as well as rationale as to why these qualities and important and the effects that translate to the students. He is relateable and not lofty. He was a teacher himself, not just an author or college professor of Education; he went to the hardest places and he became likeable and used his practical sensibilities to make huge impacts.
What I like about Ron Clark most was that he didn't let anyone else dissuade him from his approach. He was confident in the way he would reach kids and he never gave up, even when things got hairy or difficult. He kept his students at the center and he got them to trust him and it allowed his students to see their own potential. He was an individual trying to change the system as one, not as a team of friends or colleagues, but he took things on himself. I see that in myself a lot. At my current school, our departments are isolated and collaboration and technology integration isn't high on people's priority lists like it is mine. I continue to try and push the envelope of what is possible and create new projects and lessons that push students to see the world differently and not through the reading of a textbook. I deliberately work to find ways to help them share their voices and be their authentic selves. I get goofy and I try and work with students one on one to create reachable goals for them and I praise their efforts as much as possible. I am their advocate and ear as much as I am their teacher. I don't like the word NO and I often disregard it if I can. I push myself and my students to treat others with respect (although with social media, this piece is becoming more difficult) and to see the humanity in every person. I like that he sees the "small things" as being "big things" in the endgame of life. Teaching students to be kind, generous, and helpful will go a long way.