A letter
reflecting on the visit from Penny Wallin
Dear Ron, Students, and Teachers
at The Ron Clark Academy,
With a team of Mississippi educators
and artists, I visited your school on 11/11/11! What an
amazing and memorable day! I pondered about how I could
best reflect on this dramatic, awesome experience, and found
myself turning to deBono’s six thinking hats to capture my
swirling thoughts, impressions, and feelings about the
day,
 so…
TAN HAT THINKING: The facts of the day
From the moment our group arrived at
RCA after a 350 mile drive from Mississippi, students and
adults greeted, hugged, and welcomed each of us. The day
was scheduled from start to finish with opportunities to
meet students; exercise (and we know that the best
exercise for the brain is exercise!); tour the
well-designed buildings filled with artwork, photographs,
and unique learning spaces; visit classes in session where
we were invited to observe and interact in dynamic,
challenging, knowledge-based lessons; converse with
teacher-leaders and students over delicious, nutritious
food, ask questions and participate in interdisciplinary
lessons in workshops; network with fellow educators from
diverse locations; refresh in decorated bathrooms (with
Justin and others); slide with NO FEAR; celebrate
outstanding work in the afternoon gathering, including house
presentations and the Coating Ceremony; watch the
after-school transition to sports and a multitude of
after-school choices, and hug farewells to our new ‘family’.
 YELLOW
HAT THINKING: The positives of the day
Every student introduced him/herself
with total eye contact, a handshake and the words: ‘My name
is ___. Welcome to RCA!”, which was often followed by a
hug. Hugs filled my bucket to overflowing all day long.
What worked so well was the peer support at every moment of
the day…students noticing, cheering, respecting, and
honoring each other with words and chants of encouragement,
with cheers, with hugs, with tears. What worked so well was
that no matter the difficulty of the academic material, no
one felt alone because of the loving, safe environment,
while, at the same time, everyone was personally
accountable. What worked so well was the permeating belief
that ‘we are family’. What worked so well was the magic…at
every turn…in the eyes and words and actions of the RCA
family!
 RED
HAT THINKING: What is challenging
The questions—repeated multiple
times throughout the day—were ‘How can this kind of school
experience reach my students? Why shouldn’t all students
and teachers be able to participate in and embrace this
caliber of student engagement, rigor, and positive school
culture? In other words, can we clone RCA so that no child
is left behind?
 PURPLE
HAT THINKING:
My feelings (my heart and gut reactions)
From the depth of my being I feel
joy. The day was inspiring, gratifying, and happily
exhausting. RCA is a place of HOPE for all who enter the
gates…whether they be students, teachers, parents, or
visitors. What a thrill to spend time in a place that
honors individuality, celebrates teamwork, demands passion
and knowledge, and breathes love. What a model for American
Education…a place that refuses to allow fear!
 GREEN
HAT THINKING: And the “WHAT-IFS”, the POSSIBILITIES
What if every student in America could
experience such a visionary and uplifting school setting,
filled with a sense of belonging, pride, and ownership,
out-of-the-roof passion for learning and teaching, and a
safe, nurturing environment and pulsating networks both
inside and beyond the walls! What if our
educational leaders and legislators dare to look through a
new set of glasses so they can respond with a resounding
YES! to imagining and making the RCA model a reality for our
children!
And so, dear ones at RCA, I thank
you for an experience I shall cherish and use in my work
from this day forth on behalf of thousands and thousands of
children, teachers, parents, dreamers and doers!
For more
information about the Ron Clark Academy, visit the
website
here. |
