Can you imagine a school where you learn math dancing or alternate classes with dances and group games? Do you think that this way children would learn more? Well yes, it exists, and it's called Ron Clark Academy.
A few days ago Ron Clark, the head of the school uploaded a video to Facebook to show how they studied mathematics and the video was seen by more than 3 million people because both he and the students were dancing! Would you take your children to a school where fun is mandatory?
So they study math
Our Magnet teammates have made a video with which you will get an idea of how the school works:
The math teacher we all wanted to have. :)
Posted by Magnet on Thursday, January 7, 2016
Surely you will say "And how do you learn dancing?", To which you have to answer: you don't learn math dancing like this, but if you get the children to be happy, you will get them to learn more easily.
Ron Clark's philosophy
Clark opened this high school in 2000 and was inspired by the Harry Potter witchcraft Hogwarts school. He thought that the classrooms should be themed and that the school had to have a special air and that is why he added various "attractions", activities and rules in the operation to create a spirit of respect, learning and fun. All this in order to get the children to go to school saying "I love coming here" and that the teachers say "I love teaching here".
But ... will they really learn more like that?
Many people complain that children leave school today with less knowledge than we acquired in our childhood and ask that the rules be hardened, that more work be done and that every effort be made to make the level of failure School descend.
What they don't consider is that today children have many more stimuli at their disposal (more toys, more screens and more content) and consequently the school must adapt to be able to teach things in a more fun way, or else the thing will get worse.
That is why there is this school and other centers where they are innovating, because between being at home hooked to the tablet, a channel of drawings and series 24 hours, to the toys, or going to the school to let you loose the roll so Boring, children have it quite clear. If instead you make them attractive school, if you teach them taking advantage of their desire to learn and with the incentive of be and play with other children, then you have earned them.
Learn more like this? Well, I don't know, but surely they don't learn less, and all things being equal it is worth wishing to go to school one day after another, than not wishing for the weekend and holidays to come.
Clark's 55 rules
So that you don't think that the school is an amusement park, tell them that in the center they have a series of rules that every student must follow. You can read them here (it is a document of 14 pages in English) and surely some leave you a little amazed by the level of control you get: for my liking, there is an excess of rules when some of them force you to get along with all your partners or, in case of not agreeing with something or someone, or getting angry, not being able to make gestures of disagreement, at the risk that much of the good vibes end up being forced or hypocritical.
In any case, their overall intention is very valuable and they aim to create a great climate in the school, of communication, respect, friendliness, to share with others, to get along, to welcome each and every one of the students as valid and to avoid exclusion or that some children, being very shy, are naturally separated, as happens in many schools (without nobody does anything to them, they themselves separate from other partners feeling different or misunderstood).
Some of the most surprising rules are:
- If any child in this school is bothering you, let me know. I am your teacher and I am here to take care of you and protect you. I will not allow anyone in this school to abuse or make you feel uncomfortable. In return, I ask you not to try to solve the issues for yourself. Let me deal with him.
- Do not store the seats in the dining room. If someone wants to sit in one, let him. Do not try to exclude anyone. We are a family and we must treat each other with respect and kindness.
- You can bring a bottle of water and leave it on your desk. Don't ask me if you can drink water while I teach. You can even have food on the table as long as others don't see you eating and I don't hear you.
- You must be the best person you can be.
- Carpe Diem. You only live life once, so don't waste it. Life is made of special moments and many happen when people take precautions to the wind and get going to take advantage of the day.
- No matter what the circumstances, you should always be honest. Even if you have done something wrong, it is better to admit it, because I will respect that, and many times I will forget any disciplinary action thanks to your honesty.
- Accept that you are going to make mistakes. Learn of them, and go on.
- Live without having to regret it. If there is something you want to do, do it! Never let fear, doubt or other obstacles get in your way. If there is something you want, fight for it with all your heart. If there is something you want to do, go for it and make it happen. If there is something you want to be, do what it takes to live that dream.
- Be positive and enjoy life. There are things for which it is not worth being angry. Keep everything in perspective and focus your life optimistically.
Envy, really ... envy
I had some problems with my children, when I went to school, usually because they weren't comfortable there, they didn't feel respected or, directly, they didn't have fun at all. At times like this they usually tell you that as a father you make deaf ears, guts, or help positivizing the school. Something like "convince him that he's going to have a good time." However, it is no use telling them that school is cool if for them it is not, or that they will have a great time if it is not so. Come on, is that the child ends up feeling like a lie and as a "not even my parents understand me." Because if all adults combine to deny their feelings, the child feels increasingly lost and desperate.
That is why whenever we have spoken with the teachers and professors in that sense, we have urged them to do something, to do it, that they are the ones who get our children to want to go to school. Because they told us that "leave it even crying and go away", but for us the thing was very different: "no, do something so that you do not stay crying ... you have to get him to come to school".
And this is what he wanted to achieve Ron Clark and, apparently, he has achieved. Hopefully many schools look at their way of doing and begin to transform schools, which many have been anchored in an educational system decades ago, when it was already out of date.
