Sunday, October 21, 2012

UPDATE Ron Clark Academy

AMAZING! is the word that comes to mind.  I visited the Ron Clark Academy on Friday and it was amazing!  I was overcome walking in the Media Center with the kids singing, everyone dancing, and the man Ron Clark walking around.  Let me explain I have known since I was 8 years old I wanted to be a teacher.  Over the years the passion and drive have at times consumed me and I wonder why? I think about it often and it is because it is the plan God had for me.  Everyday I can change the world one child at a time.  We met up with Chrissi Major from Promethean to start our adventure.  Junior, the technology coordinator of the Ron Clark Academy, and I started talking and he was witness to my eyes leaking and then led Deanna and I upstairs to take pictures and then convinced me to go bungee jumping.  Too bad for me time ran out.  That is where the adventure truly turned magical.
We started with observing the new 5th graders in Mr. Clark's Global Studies and Math class.  We visited other classrooms and watched the children.  There were so poised and articulate.  I had lunch with four young men and the world better watch out.  They are going to do great things.  We enjoyed lunch and had fabulous conversation.  I was impressed with Miles, Darius, Ryan, and Jibril.  After lunch, we attended some workshops with some ideas to take back into our classrooms.  At the end of the day we got slide certified!  Make sure to check out the video from my iphone.  I took it while I went down the slide.  I get up and then turn the camera to catch my friend Deanna coming out of the slide.  It was so much fun-you can hear me screaming right?  Since it was Friday we got to watch the house cheers.  These kids are talented and they had the crowd cheering and yelling for them.  The last part of the day was saved for signing books.  Of course I have all his books and have read them at least twice.  It was magical.  The energy is something I find hard to describe.  There is so much love, patience, passion, and creativity in this 100 year old brick building.  I truly am touched to have witnessed all of this.  I will try to take the energy and passion I was a part of and spread it to everyone I can reach...Thank you for letting me share such an amazing adventure.

1 comment:

Tina Walden said...

Glad you had such a wonderful experience...Dylan and I watched the slide video several times just to hear you scream...it had us laughing! :-)