Mr. Higgins’ Blog

Ron Clark is one of those teachers that are so highly respected and innovative that the media picks up on the story. With the recent release of the made-for-TV movie, “The Ron Clark Story” and his appearance on Oprah, he has become a very deserving famous teacher. Some people think that “famous teacher” is an oximoron, but there is nothing more motivating or positively chilling than a great story about a great teacher. I ended up watching the movie for six straight hours as the channel repeated it three times. The basis of his story is that he was a 6th grade teacher who felt motivated enough to help out New York City schools and found himself as a replacement teacher for a 6th grade class in a Harlem school. This is a class that went through so many teachers in the past that they hammered on Ron Clark for a while until he really started establishing how he cared and forged the identity of the class through class rules. Yeah, I said “class rules”. These aren’t just any rules, they are what he feels every child can achieve if they put their mind to it and adults show that they care. Anyone reading this blog for educational value needs to watch “The Ron Clark Story” when they get a chance.

This is a huge motivating force behind the beginning of my teaching career.

Movie: The Ron Clark Story
Book: The Essential 55