Licking Heights believes in elevating every learner to new heights–and that includes staff, too.
In June, 15 teachers from Summit Station Intermediate and the middle school visited the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) in Atlanta, Georgia to observe innovative teaching practices and learn new strategies to ignite the classroom. The trip was funded by Huntington Bank.
“From the moment the bus pulled up outside the Ron Clark Academy, I was in awe. Not only is the building amazing, but the energy level of the students and teachers was contagious. Students were engaged at a level that I have never seen,” says Amy Myers, fifth grade math teacher.
Now in the 2024-25 school year, teachers reflected on how they have implemented what they learned at RCA into their classrooms. Each teacher expressed an admiration for Ron Clark, who started his career in a significantly underfunded rural district. With Clark leading a classroom, his students soon began achieving at much higher levels than they ever had –due to his interactive, engaging and challenging teaching style.
“Ron Clark truly wants to impact the lives of his students and uses education as the vehicle to do that. He has a touch of ‘no nonsense’ in the classroom, but brings high levels of charisma to his students in interesting, unique, and even odd ways,” says seventh grade English Language Arts teacher Mark Niemann.
Participants included everyone from veteran educators who have been in the district for decades to first-year teachers. The Ron Clark Academy educates students in grades 5-8.
“After 32 years in education, it was by far the most beneficial professional development I have ever attended,” says Summit Station Intermediate Principal Sandra Phillips.
Summit Station has implemented the Ron Clark house system, where students are sorted into different houses based around core values and traits. Phillips says the school has already seen a 30% reduction in behavior consequences.
“It was one of those events that had me falling in love with my job all over again,” says Luke Oravecz, a Summit Station science teacher. “This trip really was something like a dream for a teacher and has me beyond excited to see what we can do as we implement the house system.”
Fifth grade art teacher Rachel Fout played a significant role in implementing the house system for Summit Station students. Fout has taught art for 21 years, but says she still learned valuable lessons at RCA like movement-based learning, interactive activities and challenging students to take ownership of their learning.
This year, Fout wants to focus on supporting her colleagues and demonstrating why being a teacher is fun. RCA made her excited to come to work each day.
“The energy between teachers and students was remarkable. Educators weren't just teaching content, they were creating memorable experiences that connected deeply with the students,” she says. “Great teaching requires passion, creativity, and a commitment to each student’s success.”
Fifth grade English Language Arts teacher Denise Nugent also spoke highly of the house system.
“What impacted me most was the idea that our school has to be inviting and fun for students to learn. When we make school a positive place that students want to be at, they achieve more on all levels,” she says. “This is something that I have always practiced in my classroom, but this trip and seeing RCA made me think about how I could be part of doing this on a school level.”
In the classroom, teachers across grades have implemented different strategies created by Ron Clark, including standing and addressing classmates while answering a question, using hand gestures and chants to engage students and including music in lessons to hold student attention.
As a first-year English Language Arts teacher, Carrie Porterfield chose to visit RCA to learn innovative practices early in her career. Porterfield built a stage in her classroom that her 6th grade students stand on while answering questions to build confidence in their public speaking abilities.
“What has most impacted me from the experience is all the love and support my colleagues have shown to each other so far,” Porterfield says. “We are constantly building off of others' ideas and uplifting each other all the time. It is amazing to see our school turn into a family.”
It wasn’t just new educators like Porterfield who left inspired to change her methods, though. Fifth grade teacher Holly Jayes is in her 34th year of teaching and says the experience inspired her to implement new practices for both students and herself.
“As a group, we feel like we have never had a better start to a school year as we have this year. We owe it all to the inspiration we received from the Ron Clark Academy,” she says.
Seventh grade teacher Barbi Healey has followed Ron Clark for nearly two decades and incorporates his educational philosophy in her own classes–including high levels of accountability for her students, challenging them to engage in classroom discussions and holding them to an elevated standard.
“At the end of the year, I want my students to be excited about their learning and have high hopes for a bright future,” Healey says. “If I can be a small part of that, then I will have achieved my goal.”