Ron Clark’s visit: enthusiasm
The excitement abounds here in Atlanta at The Ron Clark Academy. We arrived today, and Ron Clark greeted us tonight as we viewed The Ron Clark Movie. As he spoke to a crowd of educators and businessmen and women, his message was one of family, unity, teamwork, and passion. As the evening closed, he opened the floor for questions from the group. He recalled his past teaching experiences; shared vignettes of former students and their success stories; and then left us all in suspense for today’s visit to the Academy.
I finished reading Chapter 1 Friday. The message in this initial chapter is about having enthusiasm in all that you do! No matter what your profession, he urges us all to be enthusiastic about each and every day and the promise that it provides. With this chapter in mind, I was able to recall teachers who shared their enthusiasm with me as I grew through school. Coach Long, Ms. Harrison, and Mrs. Griffin are just a few of those people from Mid-Carolina High School who fostered the excitement that I had to become an educator. I hope that as I go through each and every day that I can foster for others (teachers, students, and parents) this same excitement! Who are some of the memorable teachers who got you enthused about learning?
I am sure that we will be “enthused” today as we visit the Academy. I will share this experience with you.
The Ron Clark Academy is awesome! I learned so much that I can implement into my classroom. Although the academy fosters fifth and sixth grade students, many of their teaching techniques, including high expectations and numerous innovative ideas for making learning meaningful and fun, can be adapted and applied to my Kindergarten classroom. I feel revived for the upcoming school year, and I look forward to sharing what I’ve learned with my team at Doby’s Mill!
I am reminded of my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Anderson. She included many of Ron Clark’s ideals into her lessons, and her classroom. The results: I can still recall many of the activities and lessons from her class. I incorporate much of what she taught us into my classes.
Thank you, Mrs. Catoe, for this fantastic professional development opportunity! I am slide certified!
Wipe me Down!!!! I am slide certified.
WOW!!!! The Ron Clark Academy was amazing. If every school in America was like the academy all children everywhere would love learning. However, I do feel as though Doby’s Mill is right in the ball park, because our school is very innovative and out of box.
I still remember some very memorable teachers… one being our very own Mrs. Ginger Catoe. Mrs. Catoe made CP Engilish IIII exciting and engaging. I remember her class like it was yesterday. She not only taught her students, she cared deeply about her students, me being one of those students. It is such an honor to now work alongside her at one of the finest schools.
Mrs. Farrow, my 2nd grade teacher had a zest for learning that was infectious. She loved every single one of her students and made us believe that we were capable of doing anything that we wanted to. I still use some of the strategies that she used in her classroom many years later in my own room. I was able to go back and visit her in England when I was in college. She remembered me right away - I wonder why!! It was her last year of teaching and she was so happy to find out that I was going to be a teacher. Mrs. Farrow is proof of the difference that teachers can make in the lives of their students.
Jakki Wiseman
I don’t that I can simply single out one teacher or person who inspired me to become a teacher. My parents, former teachers, friends, and now my current DMES family have all helped (and still help) me become the teacher that I am today. When I think back to elementary school, I think of Mrs. Rusher my first grade teacher. I still remember like it was yesterday, being VERY afraid of clowns. Unfortunately we had an assembly one morning and some of the performers were clowns. Nothing is more frightening than a clown! I basically freaked out; Mrs. Rusher scooped me up into her arms and held me tight telling me all the while that I would be okay. She was so nurturing. It’s funny how life has a way of coming full circle as I was placed in the same school for student teaching as Mrs. Rusher. It was very surreal for me to be beginning my teaching career as she was ending hers. She would be retiring at the end of the school year. I still see Mrs. Rusher out and about these days, especially at Wal-Mart. We still look upon each other with fondness. I however, with admiration for that one teacher who made a difference in my life.
~Amanda Cook
Sounds like the team had a blast!! Wish I could have gone, much like others feel as well. Thinking back to my teachers, one stands out. Mrs. Saloman, my third grade teacher, can be recalled very vividly. Her room had a pirate theme, we ate chinese food on the floor with chopsticks, and she dressed up funny for certain days. Even though I may not remember her as a person per say, I remeber the feeling of love and happiness in that room. I hope that some of my students can look back and say the same about me as well. Maybe not some of the students!!!
Stephanie Desjarlais
I hope you have lots of pictures for me to put on our website. I can’t wait to see photos of all of you becoming “Slide Certified.” I have had several teachers who had the gift of making learning fun and who really cared about me and made a difference in my life. I want to thank Frances Amos (Third Grade Teacher), Lynda McLean (Sixth Grade Teacher), and Lane Floyd (High School English Teacher and later my first Superintendent). They were exceptional teachers and motivators.
It sounds like everyone had a great time! I am sure that the trip was wonderful. I can’t wait to hear all of the ideas that will be shared with the staff at DME.
As I think back, the teacher that pops in my mind is Mrs. Crosby. She was my Kindergarten teacher. She always had exciting activities going on throughout the classroom. She even let my dad build my class a two story clubhouse in our classroom! She was a wonderful educator!
Wendy Todd
I am enjoying Ron Clark’s book, too. As I sat reading on the beach, I thought about the teachers in my past that always did the things that kept us interested as students. The teacherswho: let us dress up and act out plays: that had us do projects that involved creating or building something at home or in class: that allowed us to teach each other in class: and the teacher who had us memorize a poem every week to recite in front of the class. (I still remember many of those poems)Those teachers are the ones we remember the most when we reflect. Isn’t that what we want? for our students to remember us?
I can’t wait to keep reading Ron Clark’s book.
Kathy Brand
Just finished my Ron Clark book and WOW if that doesn’t motivate you then I don’t know what will. Everything I read I’d think yeah, we can do that! I can hardly wait to start implementing some of his ideas.
written by: Janice Poston
I remember one of my enthusiastic teachers in elementary school being Mrs. Strom. Not only did she teach me academics but also how to do Macramé. When we finished our math work we could go to the back of the room and work on our owls. I remember trying to pay attention and complete my work quickly and correctly, so that I could have time to complete my project.
I kept the owl for years, somewhere down the line I disgarded it. Funny how now - I’d give anything to have it back. It’s the little things that teachers do that mean so much.