HOUSECON - Ron Clark Academy

 WE. ARE. BACK! Our Bethke Elementary educators went to the Ron Clark Academy again this summer. Another group of educators came to experience HOUSECON and the magic was ever so present!

As I sit and reflect this morning, here are some experiences I want to make sure I remember:

1. Get Your Six
Meaning find at least 6 people in your school who can help with the buy in for new ideas to flourish. Well, we have more than 6 now; Bethke Elementary has twenty-two educators who have been to this Ron Clark experience. We began rolling this house system out with our teachers first during the Fall 2022 and this was followed by bringing our 1,300 students onboard in Spring 2023. This summer we learned how to kick it up several notches with MANY ways to bring the houses more alive. Get ready Bethke Elementary our trained educators are on fire to bring these ideas to life and team with each and every staff member on our campus in the process!

2. Importance of School-Wide Meetings
Explain the WHY to our kids in a collaborative and FUN way. Students need training, but they also need to have ideas experienced! How do we get kids to rise to our levels with expectations with academics and behavior? We hold them to a higher standard and have our educators modeling that daily with their actions/communication. Building a community with our educators is HUGE in this process. It starts with the mindsets of those on our campus and moves to our students, as well as their families. Our summer training highlighted ways to bring educators, students, and families into our school to make the magic happen – infusing houses into classroom lessons, 5^th graders as student house leaders, bringing newly registered students into houses, embracing talent in each house, House Olympics, contests with community members as judges, increasing belonging, parents with student buttons, tracking points, consistency with points, fundraising, and oh so much more. So many small details that make such a difference!

3. Building Relationships
Everyone needs to belong. That was showcased repeatedly during the training. Yes, there is research that shows the benefits of this, but the experience of this was oh so present. From the moment you walk into the Ron Clark Academy, you feel the embrace. Houses have the power to unite people in ways to make greatness happen for others not only in your school, but also outside your walls in the community. When alumni students who have graduated high school and college make it a point to come back and volunteer in the school AND mentor current fourth-eighth grade students…well, that is the highest level of giving back to others! Not only have the students found a HOME, but their families have also found a home. We had the pleasure of learning with parents who were leading sessions about how to increase levels of parent commitment, too. How cool to hear information about this from parents’ perspective! So many details were shared during our experiences for staff, student, and family bonding.

We are ready to celebrate who we are and just who we are becoming at Bethke Elementary! 

Reflections from Ron Clark Academy Experience

 

My first contact with Ron Clark was when he was a keynote speaker at a conference in Las Vegas about eighteen years ago. During his hour keynote, Mr. Clark brought energy, laughs, ah-ha moments, and specific teaching points. I wanted to hear more so over the next years I watched and read anything I could get my hands on from him and Kim Bearden, the Co-Founder and Director of the Ron Clark Academy. Can I just say that I’ve wanted to experience the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) for many years!

Guess what? Our Principal, Kara Morgan, found a way to send members of Bethke Elementary to experience this magical place! I can’t say thank you enough for allowing me to join this adventure.

What happens when ten educators from your elementary school in the summer experience The Ron Clark Academy? Educators’ conversations change to “what if” and “how do we”.

Classroom environment is key to a portal to a different learning space. Excitement is always free…we can bring what we need into our space for learners. A key point that stood out to me in each room I visited at RCA was that each educator brought what engages/inspires him/her into the classroom. If the educator was passionate about literature, the room was surrounded by floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with literature. If the educator was passionate about movies and gaming, the room was literally painted with scenes from movie scenes or gaming experiences. If the educator was enthralled with Star Wars, the room décor matched and even had lights/sounds to match. Our teachers must find a way to showcase what engages them and find a way to play on the magic of that with our learners. Let’s think long and hard about how we set up our learning spaces to bring the excitement from the first-time kids step into our rooms. Let’s sprinkle it with magic!

Strong conversational skills by students were highlighted in every learning space. RCA teachers were masterful about short teaching points and huge amounts of student communication. Several strategies noticed were turn/talks, discussions, teacher constantly questioning and student discourse (“I respectfully disagree with you because…). A key point that stood out to me was that each educator made it a point to let the kids take the lead with the discussions. Students were comfortable popping up with conversation (and once they had simple eye contact from teacher) and standing to share his/her thinking with the others in the room. RCA students weren’t shy about respectfully disagreeing with someone’s thoughts and were immediate to share their WHY in this process. I was extremely impressed with this because adults often struggle with discourse in our own conversations! We learned so much from the RCA students.

Music was embedded into all parts of our RCA experience. Visiting educators were greeted with songs playing and many learners cheering. Everyone should experience a greeting like this at some point in their year. WOW the feeling of excitement for what was about to happen was evident! Not only do learners experience music to signify a job well done, but there’s a sense of student ownership in chants (subject matter material), too. Ron Clark stated, “Songs can be a prize (for the learning), but it’s much better when they are used as a (learning) tool.” Students not only remembered key teaching points by chants, but these students were the creators of many of the chants/songs. We experienced students sharing academic vocabulary in conversations where learners used movements and chants to recall meaning to use in those conversations. It was powerful to see this tool in action where students were completely in control of the tools for learning and sharing of ideas. Movement and music transformed the RCA learning spaces in such a powerful way; you have to experience this to feel this magic.  

At the end of our training day, I became “Slide Certified”! Oh, this is more than just a slide. Yes, it’s the centerpiece of the Ron Clark Academy. But this slide is a symbol…reminders to have no fear, to be bold, and to embrace taking a different path in life and as an educator. Educators exiting this slide seemed to be giggling and some had tears flowing because this training was an emotional experience. Our school’s plan is to send many more groups of educators to the Ron Clark Academy in the coming months and years to experience the magic firsthand. Let’s go Bethke Elementary!

Our first RCA visiting team can’t wait to bring this learning to our school community during 2022-2023! #rcainspired 

   

  

  

  

Journey

The last couple of days have truly changed me as a mom and educator. My husband and I traveled to Michigan to get our son, Austin, set up for his first semester in college. A stream of emotions have accompanied me on this journey. I am so proud of what this young man has accomplished in his eighteen years of life. His dream of playing baseball in college has come true and he secured an amazing scholarship (87%) to make it happen! Austin knows the power of sticking with something that you love through all the ups and downs. He knows how to make choices, learn from mistakes, and handle conflict on his own. There has been such a delicate balance of leading him and allowing him to walk forward alone. We have worked hard to give him the opportunity to navigate through life’s twists and turns. The game of baseball has taught him so much and most importantly how to persevere; that will carry him far in life.

Watching Austin take the next steps on his educational journey makes me want to thank some special educators who touched him with wisdom, but more importantly spoke to his heart. Thank you to Julie Cruser, Deedria Bourgeois, Vicki Armentor, Rafael Villarreal, and Mark Fobian. I want each of you to know that your planted seeds in Austin have taken root and have made a difference in his life. A little piece of each of you is now ready to shine in Michigan for the next four years. Thank you for pouring your heart into our son.

Educators, please know that you play such a big part in our learners’ lives. When we focus on building our learning spaces with love, everything else is secondary. You will never know just how far your reach will influence a student. Many of you won’t see the fruits of your labor for many years to come…just know that it will happen. My hope is that someone remembers to say thank YOU many years later. 

Austin and mom after dorm room was assembled. Success!	Mason (roommate) and Austin with Dr. Ditzler (Albion President) while taking a tour of this beautiful home.	Faculty creating a “clap in” to welcome all incoming freshman. This was one of those heart moments this weekend – pure love!