The first day my new teacher walked into our school in Spanish Harlem, I burst out laughing. Ron Clark was a young white guy from North Carolina who talked with a funny Southern accent . He said he used to be a singing waiter. I thought, who is this guy? He's a complete joke. 

It was 1999 and I was in the fifth grade at New York City's P.S. 83. _ . I'd always been a troublemaker. I'd get yelled at, and then the teachers would give up on me. I thought that's what would happen with Ron Clark. 

I was wrong. That first week, I kept mocking him. He pulled me out to the hallway and said I'd better shape up. "Tamara," he said, "you're a smart kid. You can do better." 

He told me I was a natural leader and that I'd go far in life if I started applying myself. I was mad at first, but then something happened: I began to respect him. There were 29 students in our class, and it didn't take long for us to realize that Ron Clark was no ordinary teacher. 

He was only 27 and had the most unusual way of teaching. To help us learn the states and capitals, he changed the lyrics of a popular rap hit called "Thong Song" and had us sing and dance with him. When we read the Harry Potter books, he decorated our classroom like Hogwarts. And during the Presidential election, he put campaign posters on the walls and covered the room with 5,000 red, white and blue stars.
WHO WAS THE TEACHER
WHERE WAS HE FROM
WHERE DID HE TEACH
WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD
WHAT WAS HE PRIOR TO TEACHING
WHO IS TELLING THE STORY
DID SHE FIND HIM FUNNY
WAS SHE RESPECTFUL
DID HE HAVE FAITH IN HER
WAS SHE A PROBLEM CHILD
HOW MANY IN THE CLASS
DID HE TEACH LIKE OTHERS
HOW DID HE TEACH THE ABOUT THE U.S.
WHAT KIND OF READING MATERIAL
WHERE DID HE SAY TO HER
WHAT ELSE
Ron Clark
Ron Clark
North Carolina
North Carolina
New York City's P.S. 83
New York City's P.S. 83
Spanish Harlem
Spanish Harlem
singing waiter
 singing waiter
Tamara
Tamara
He's a complete joke
He's a complete joke
no
I kept mocking him
yes
you're a smart kid. You can do better." 
She was always a troublemaker
I'd always been a troublemaker
29 students
29 students
no
Ron Clark was no ordinary teacher
He rewrote words to poplular rap music.
 he changed the lyrics of a popular rap hit called "Thong Song" and had us sing and dance with him.
Harry Potter
 Harry Potter
I'd better shape up
I'd better shape up
a natural leader and that I'd go far in life if I started applying myself
 a natural leader and that I'd go far in life if I started applying myself