West Michigan teachers surprised with educational trip
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One-hundred-and-fifty public school educators from Grand Rapids, Holland, Kentwood, Grandville and Grand Valley State University Charter Schools gathered at Huntington Bank’s Ignite the Classroom event. All of them thought they had a chance to win a trip to Atlanta, Georgia, to visit the Ron Clark Academy this July.
They were told only five of them would be selected.
“It’s like a Make-A-Wish trip for teachers,” teacher Crista Holland-Anderson said.
The academy, which started in the mid-2000s, is known for its unconventional techniques, emphasizing how education can be more than just a teacher at the blackboard.
“Educators can go there and see what other educators are doing and bring some of those concepts back to their classrooms,” Lauren Davis, President, Greater Michigan Region at Huntington Bank said.
Ron Clark himself was there and gave a speech.
Before long, five names were announced, and then came the surprise.
Clark and others revealed: “You’re all going!”
The room erupted into cheers and clapping.
“We know that that energy, that enthusiasm for teaching and learning, will permeate to our teachers, so I know how excited they’re going to be to get to learn right alongside shoulder to shoulder with Ron Clark and the amazing educators,” Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Poston said.
Holland-Anderson had no idea what was coming.
“I was really happy for the teacher who was chosen, because he’s great and he’s been here a long time,” she said. “And then I was thrilled.”
She hopes the trip will give her new ways to support her students —as well as herself.
“This is my 30th year of teaching, and I’m a little burned out,” Holland-Anderson said. “I’m teaching fifth grade, just like Ron said, and it’s been very hard. So I’m just excited to be rejuvenated to do some of the things that maybe I used to do, bringing them back.”
