Analysis Of Ron Clark’s Life

Analysis Of Ron Clarks Life Ron Clark, an American teacher, has a different and unique way of teaching kids and making a difference in their lives. He is spreading the message to other educators by turning the classroom around for students in the United States. Clark is changing the lives of children through his motivation and determination and discovering â€Å"untapped† potential in students in order for them to become the best that they can be. Clark’s childhood and young adult experiences are what makes him passionate about life, which in turn allows him inspire and educate his students. Throughout college, he found that his one true love in life was adventure (â€Å"Essential 55† 159). Because of his love for adventure, Clark had some wild moments. For example he ran across a football field that was being broadcasted nationally while being chased by the police (â€Å"Essential 55† 43). He never thought that he would become a teacher. Clark once said, â€Å"The time I have spen t teaching children lessons has been wonderful, and I can’t imagine doing anything other than teaching. That is ironic, however, because when I was growing up, being a teacher was the last thing I wanted to do† (â€Å"Essential 55† xii). His experiences from his youth are his foundation of balancing fun and learning in his classroom. He puts himself in the mind-set of the children in order to let the students understand the information. For example, he remembers â€Å"sitting in classes, while reading as a group. Sometimesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I would stare at the page and daydream about anything† (â€Å"Excellent 11† 46). In order for his student’s not to feel the same way in class, â€Å"I read with force, energy, and expression. Sometimes while reading I’ll jump on a student’s desk, scream at the top of my lungs, or fall to the floor† (â€Å"Excellent 11† 49). Through these actions of making the classroom more entertai ning, it illustrates that he is willing to think outside the box until he finds the best way to help kids learn. Since the students can genuinely see the efforts he puts into each day, they will be more willing to put effort towards achieving their goals in the classroom. By holding on to his childhood memories, he is able to become a deeper person and to become a role model to his students. Since his mother wanted him to stay put, Clark became a fifth grade teacher at Snowden Elementary School, where many of the students had behavior problems and learning disabilities (â€Å"Essential 55† xi) Even though he had just begun teaching, Clark was slowly changing the world of education. Over the next few years in the classroom, his experiences were filled with ups and downs, with invitations to the White House, trips around the world and projects that captured world wide attention. These events show how much effort he puts into molding his students into responsible adults (â€Å" Essential 55† 3) Through his out of the box teaching style, he is not only teaching the curriculum, but also pushing them slowly into the modern world. By creating an adventure for kids, he is allowing his students to learn from experience by letting them to learn from their mistakes, to build trust and to encourage them to become better students. Clark started his own adventure when he left rural North Carolina to go teach at Harlem in New York City (Miners). He states that â€Å"Moving there opened my eyes, my heart, and my mind to experiences I never would have had otherwise† (Clark). Even though it was hard to move to a new city, he was glad that he just went for it (â€Å"Excellent 11† 37). By putting that same courage and determination into student’s lives, it can teach them to face their fears, and give them the urge to follow their dreams. Clark sets an example by following his heart, thus building a vision of how students should live their lives.