2. The story begins with Ron
Clark leaving his small hometown in
North Carolina, hoping that he can
also make it big teaching in the big
city. Carrying high hopes and big
dreams, Clark embraced the busy life
in the city, working as a waiter for a
restaurant as a part time job. He was
able to land in Harlem Public School
despite discouragements from friends
and colleagues, thinking that he is too
weak and too nice for the 6th grader
students who belong to the bottom
group of the graduating students.
Reluctant that Clark can make it he
was given the task of improving the
class score and passed the State
Examination.
Clark endures the rudeness of the
class on the first time and suffers
even worst as the day passed but
Clark never gives up on them.
Instead, he tries to know his
students better by visiting them at
their home. One of them was
Shameika Wallace, a 12 year old girl
trying to attend school while helping
to raise her brothers and sisters.
With that, he sees the reasons why
his students acted that way they did
not get much attention and
importance from their family. Since
then, he treats his students as his
family and works beyond and above
his profession to reach out to them.
3. He created distinctive rules in his classrooms and uses contemporary
teaching methods and techniques suited for his students. He tries to renovate
the classroom and make it more possible for his students to learn. He gives
incentives to them and makes them feel that they can trust him. But despite all
these efforts, the students have not appreciated a single act from him. That is
the time that he almost gives up. Despite having dismay spirit, Ron Clark still
believes in the ability and talent of the each student in his class. He has in his
mind the thought that the kids can do more than what he is asking them to do.
With that in mind, he tried to recharge and revive his strength by exploring New
York City with a friend and go back to school with a rejuvenated purpose of
helping his students dream big and make it real. Students think that Ron Clark
will not show up again, just like their previous teachers. Much to their surprised,
Clark comes back with better and brighter ideas on how he can “fit in”. He tries
to build rapport by playing with them and teaching them on his spare time. He
gave exciting challenges to promote silence and good study habits. He applies
different teaching strategies and think of how the kids can best acquire learning.
4. He intensified his
incentive scheme and make sure
that kids work are appreciated. He
even tries to do chores for his
students just to make sure that
they will do their home works.
Some parents get mad at him,
assuming that he is already
concerns with their private
interest, but he always address
the need of these kids to have
time to study to achieve their
highest potentials. With all these
and more, he gradually sees the
academic improvement of the
class and the changes in their
behavior are very good notice.
Clark constantly repeated the
importance of having big dreams and
making them come true which inspire
the students do their best to pass the
exam. He always does the extra mile in
teaching them and spends almost all of
his time educating the students. His
health suffers from difficult in breath
but that does not stop him from
reviewing the students for the exam.
He has recorded instructional videos
for them to watch. After the exam, Ron
Clark organizes a small party for a job
well done and to honor outstanding
students. The principal arrives with the
good news that it was the result of the
state exam.
5. Everyone was amazed with how the
class performed, Ron Clark’s class
turned out to be the best performing
class in the school, they even out do
the honor class. One remarkable
result was one of the students
Shameika Wallace got a perfect
score, which no one in the district
ever does. Ron Clark was satisfied
and excited seeing their students
going one step closer to their
dreams.
•Mr. Ron Clark : a teacher who is idealist, compassionate,
innovative, creative and passionate.
• Tayshawn : tough-minded student, brave, indifferent.
•Shameika : unruly, loud, brave, spirited leaders, mothering
nature.
•PrincipalTurner: selfish, tactless and doesn’t care
•Marissa Vega : lovely, co-worker, beautiful, hardworking, good at
acting.
•Julio Vazquez : student that like to steal, like to bet, play smart
cards.
•Ron Clark Sr. : Clark’s mother who is kind and thoughtful.
•Badriyah : shy, quiet, smart, bookworm and the only one who
likes Mr. Clark at the first time.
•Arena Raquel : calm and likes to sleep in class.
•Badriyah's father : father curb child, undemocratic, authoritarian.
•Jean Clark : Clark father who is compassionate and wise
•Doretha Wallace : Mother Shamaika that hardworking and thoughtful.
•Hadley : Clark’s friend at the cafe.
•Alita Sanchez : cool student.
•Yolanda : hotel receptionist who is busy, nice and firm.
6. Moral Issues
The film represents the school as a typical urban school with students
compete with great success on, being unruly, talking while the teacher is talking
and administrators assuming students are low performing or special needs. The
students in this movie are a mixture of African American, Latino, and Indian. It
also showcases a principal who only cares about getting high test scores and
not really considering what students can really do. Then, another issue is the
students have difficult family lives. One child is in foster care and gets abused by
his foster parent. Another child is the de-facto mom to her younger siblings, as
her mother works two jobs. The children have bigger problems than not knowing
grammar and their problems may disturb more sensitive kids or kids who have
been in similar situations.
7. My Insights
Ron Clark Story was an eye opener for the writer. It gives the writer a
clearer view of what should be the real purpose of a teacher on their students
and in the community. It tells us that teaching is far beyond the need for
compensation and employment, it is not a career to work at but it is indeed a
vocation to fulfill. His passion for improvement is very impressive, for he sees
the potential in every personality and amazingly turns it into opportunity. On
being a teacher, Ron Clark was deserving teacher. He reminds the writer of the
saying “When the going gets tough, the tough keeps going.” He is impossible to
deny the deal with educator of our time. His attitude on teaching was a model,
he never lose hope on hopeless circumstances. He was never tired of
experimenting teaching strategies and methods to identify how his class can
learn and grasp information that they need. Clark is a have great concern in
other people when it comes to teaching. He is willing to sacrifice for the benefit
of each and every student in his class.
