Junior Bernadin is dean of students and IT director at Ron Clark Academy, a private school in southeast Atlanta co-founded by Ron Clark, an impresario educator and author who had a movie made about him and was a contestant on the TV show “Survivor.”
Bernadin has also become an expert in the house system long used in British schools to develop a sense of unity, purpose and camaraderie among students. Hogwarts, the wizardry school in “Harry Potter,” operates on a house system.
Ron Clark Academy tries to re-create a bit of the Hogwarts magic with the ceremony it uses to match incoming students with houses, including a “wheel of houses” and an indoor slide. Bernadin has helped train more than 10,000 educators on the implementation of the house system. In this guest column, Bernadin encourages schools to consider house systems.
By Junior Bernadin
The house system, a time-honored tradition with roots that date back several centuries, has reemerged with a contemporary flourish in schools today. In a house system, students join learning and leadership communities that can have their own color, symbols, heritage and personality.
Using the system, schools have decreased discipline referrals and seen improvements in academic excellence, building strong relationships and overall satisfaction. The importance of mental health and community-building cannot be overstated, especially in the post-COVID-19 world, where isolation and anxiety have become more prevalent among students. The house system can serve as a safety net, ensuring that students do not feel alone.
For many, their first glimpse of a house system came through J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series. As captivating as the series is with its mystical creatures and spellbinding plots, its portrayal of the house system is far from ideal. The excessive rivalry and stereotype-based selection process in “Harry Potter” do not reflect the nurturing essence of the house system.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
The history of the house system traces back to the United Kingdom, where students, especially boarding students, were divided into subunits or houses. This division was not merely administrative; it carried a pastoral care component and created a family-like environment.
In the United States, there was skepticism regarding the feasibility of transplanting the house system from its British roots into the American educational landscape. Concerns included scheduling, space allocation, exaggerated competition and obtaining buy-in from staff and students. Some naysayers argue that having inadequate resources or house meetings took away much-needed instructional time. However, as is often the case, there is a way when there is a will.
Here in Atlanta, the Ron Clark Academy House System is an example of the system’s modernization and scalability. By incorporating virtues and values as central house themes, RCA has given students a sense of identity. Students have an additional layer of support and feel more invested in their education. They feel part of something bigger, and this feeling motivates students to be engaged and perform better academically.
It’s not just a system; it’s a movement, with schools across the globe adopting RCA’s model, forming an international network of educational institutions focused on student well-being and achievement.
When paired with today’s technology, the house system can become a more powerful tool to motivate students, parents and educators to create a positive school community. However, it is imperative to approach the implementation of the house system with caution, deliberation, care and understanding.
Under the Ron Clark Academy House Points App, points are awarded to students for going above and beyond and never taken away; however, the entire house benefits from each point assigned. Students may earn points from answering challenging questions in class, getting a perfect score on a tough exam or showing outstanding engagement within a classroom. In one instance, a student who voluntarily carried the books of a classmate who came to school on crutches won points.
Student point contributors have their faces displayed on a school kiosk, allowing them to be celebrated by their house community. This concept fosters community-building and inspires students to excel as a group.
The introduction of house points applications further breathes life into the house system. By digitizing the house points, students can actively engage with the system, tracking their progress and contributions in real time. This gamification makes the process more interactive and allows for instant gratification.
While numerous points apps focus on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, house systems are philosophically different. PBIS apps like ClassDojo, and PBIS Rewards revolve around individual behavior management in which students earn points for meeting expectations, individually cash in their points for rewards and can have points deducted for misbehaving.
RCA’s House System is free for all schools to use and implement. Schools can use the RCA House System website to learn more. Educators can also click here to learn some basics on how to implement the RCA House System in their own schools. RCA also hosts events like House Mania, House Leadership Academy, and HouseCon, to provide more in-depth training to schools and educators, and these events do require a registration fee.
Schools should seriously consider adopting this time-honored system, with the caveat of doing it correctly. They must approach the house system as a part of a broader strategy for improving their students’ well-being and success, not just as a trendy add-on.
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