Ron Clark Academy principal’s ‘Bet You Can’t Do It Like Me’ dance routine with students goes viral
Jaw-dropping video has received three million hits - and counting - in just two days
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Your support makes all the difference.The new year has definitely started off with a bang, thanks to a US middle school teacher who has become, so far, one of 2016’s biggest social media hits, earning a legion of fans in the process.
Ron Clark, founder of the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) in Atlanta, Georgia, has all but killed-off any other competition in rapper DLOW’s ‘Bet You Can’t Do It Like Me’ challenge after posting a sensational video of himself dancing to the hit song with his students - and nailing every single move.
Posted onto his Facebook page just two days ago, Mr Clark’s jaw-dropping routine has quickly gathered some three million hits - and counting.
Watch the video:
Ron Clark Academy having fun with the #doitlikemechallenge
Posted by Ron Clark on Sunday, 3 January 2016
According to media reports, Mr Clark described how some of his students contacted him out of boredom over the festive break and suggested teaching him the moves to the popular song.
Having taken just two hours to film the routine on Sunday, the maths teacher and principal uploaded the video online and was instantly praised for rolling up his sleeves and interacting with his students in a unique and effective way.
Speaking with HuffPost, he insisted school should be exciting for pupils, and added: “You’ve got to know who your kids are and show them you care about their culture.”
He also highlighted the fact that, although he may be no professional dancer, he’s glad to have found a way reach his students, rather than risk losing them.
Established in 2007, all RCA students come from underprivileged backgrounds and the school has been famed for its one-of-a-kind mix of combining mutual teacher-student respect and engaging in “exciting and passionate learning.”
According to its website, the RCA’s vision for the future is to be the best school in the world by demonstrating transformative methods and techniques that are embraced and replicated, not only in the US, but across the globe.
Mr Clark’s story has also been told in the 2006 TV film ‘The Ron Clark Story’ in which ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry played the teacher. Fellow education advocate Oprah Winfrey is among many high profile names to have partnered with Mr Clark.
As well as being a finalist for the 2016 London-based Global Teacher Prize - a $1 million (£681,361) award given to an exceptional teacher - it seems Mr Clark may already be gunning for the Best Teacher Ever accolade too. If such an award existed, that is.
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