Kim Bearden is the cofounder and a language arts teacher at the highly acclaimed Ron Clark Academy, an innovative middle school and educator-training facility in Atlanta. Each year, over 15,000 educators from around the world visit Kim’s classroom and attend her workshops to learn better ways to engage students, build relationships, foster creativity, enhance communication, and create a climate and culture for success.
In 2016, Kim was honored at the White House for being inducted into to the National Teachers Hall of Fame. She was selected from over 70,000 nominations to be honored as the Disney American Teacher Awards Outstanding Humanities Teacher, and the Milken Family Foundation selected her to receive the Award for Excellence in Education. She is the winner of the InfluencHer Award, the University of Georgia Outstanding Educator Award, and the Turknett Character Award for Servant Leadership. Mercedes-Benz recognized her in their Greatness Lives Here campaign, and Women Works Media Group has named her one of Georgia’s Most Powerful and Influential Women.
Over the past thirty-four years, she has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, curriculum director, school-board member, staff-development trainer, and middle-school principal. Kim is a bestselling author of three books: Crash Course: The Life Lessons My Students Taught Me; Talk to Me: Find the Right Words to Inspire, Encourage, and Get Things Done; and Fight Song: Six Steps to Passion, Power, Peace, and Purpose. Additionally, Kim shares her passion and love for her craft with audiences around the world as a keynote speaker and professional development trainer.
Kim is married to Scotty, and she is the mother of four children. Her sons–Sisipho, Sabelo, and Phakamani– are originally from Soweto, South Africa, and are currently attending college in Georgia. Her daughter, Madison, is married and lives not too far away.
I am the cofounder, the executive director, and a language arts teacher at the Ron Clark Academy, an innovative school and professional development facility in Atlanta.