By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–A pair of Union City Schools teachers will tap into resources from a widely respected and well-known educator in an attempt to help their students ascend to greater heights.
Union City Elementary School’s Tina Grissom and Jessica Flood of UC Middle School were chosen for an expenses-paid trip to the Ron Clark Academy Experience in Atlanta, Mar. 7-8.
RCA is a revolutionary professional development for educators based on the practices of Ron Clark Jr., a respected educator who gained fame as a motivational speaker on the topic of inspiring educators. He founded the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta after having taught in New York and North Carolina and also became a NY Times bestselling author.
His personal story gained fame with the movie ‘The Ron Clark Story,’ released in 2006.
Climate, culture, rigor, and student engagement are the focus of the RCA – a model school that uses innovative and energetic approaches to yield results. Methods instill a passion for learning and helping all children achieve great levels of success, according to school representatives.
Both Grissom and Flood are understandably excited for the opportunity to witness the program firsthand and then apply lessons learned with their students and fellow teachers.
“I’ve heard him speak before, and I’ve read his books and watched his movie. And I’m amazed by his story for bringing out the best in students,” Grissom said. “His enthusiasm for kids and education is amazing, and I can’t wait to gain insight into his philosophies.
“My hope is to bring home ideas and practices that will hopefully encourage students, their parents, and our community to buy in.”
Flood says she follows Clark via several social media platforms and looks forward to implementing many of Clark’s techniques in her classroom.
“He just seemingly keeps students engaged and motivated, using different ways and means,” she said. “His classroom management style is unique, and I can’t wait to witness his examples in person.”
Flood and Grissom applied for and received a $750 voucher awarded to some applicants by the SONIC Foundation to offset the costs of the seminar.
Each week, educators visit the RCA to witness dynamic and research-based teaching methods. Through classroom observations and workshops, participants in the training program learn ways to increase student engagement, ensure academic rigor, and create a climate and culture that leads to success.
Attendees will rotate through classes and observe Clark, Kim Bearden, and other members of the RCA faculty. Bearden is the cofounder, executive director, and language arts teacher at the RCA.