the expectations , the higher the results . '' Watch Clark 's students perform their original poetry '' But with high academic expectations come an equally high quotient for fun . It 's become one of Clark 's trademarks : singing and dancing to popular rap and R&B songs during class to get the kids engaged . `` My first day at Ron Clark Academy , I thought all the teachers were psychopaths , '' says seventh-grader Jai Springs . `` I thought Ron Clark was going crazy . He was up in front of the kids on desks , he was dancing . ... I never saw a teacher get up on a desk and dance . But now I 'm used to it , so I get up on the desk and dance too , '' says Jai . Clark , formerly a schoolteacher from North Carolina , founded the academy with money he earned from his book titled The Essential 55 , which detail Clark 's 55 golden rules for success -- in and out of the classroom . Clark was invited to be a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show after winning Disney Teacher of the
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seventh graders at Ron Clark Academy became an overnight sensation during the presidential election when their YouTube performance of `` You Can Vote However You Like '' catapulted them to online stardom . `` The higher the expectations , the higher the results , '' says Ron Clark , seen here with his students . Now , their creative and scholastic talents have proved the students to be more than just `` one hit wonders . '' Academy students showcased their poetry and writings for CNN 's documentary `` Black in America 2 , '' hosted by Soledad O'Brien . Cultivating student creativity is just one of the goals of academy founder Ron Clark , an enigmatic educator known for his unconventional teaching methods . Under his strict tutelage , students at Ron Clark -- who are predominantly African-American -- are expected to excel in all subjects and maintain a high standard of respect for their peers and teachers . `` I 'm teaching an eighth-grade curriculum to fifth-graders , '' says Clark . `` Some people say my expectations of the kids , academically , is too high , but the higher