For Kids, School Is the Real World

I love Twitter. It’s a great way to brag about your school district, to relay quick news, to interact and learn with other professionals.

And I hate Twitter. It is not designed for intensive discussion, and the character limit that abridges your statements can cause anything from misunderstanding (at best) to downright trolling (at worst).

And so the other day I saw a pretty brilliant tweet from a person I had never engaged with before. In his allotted 280 characters, the gentleman drew attention to the fact that too often educators use “preparing them for the real world” as an excuse to implement some rather curious restrictions on kids.

I liked it, and quote-tweeted with a statement that one of my pet peeves is educators who disguise cruelty as a lesson in responsibility. Many folks gave the courtesy “like,” but a handful took umbrage.

“Cruelty” is an exaggeration, they said. In my workplace I have to follow firm deadlines, others said. You’re just coddling kids, echoed others.

To that I say, experience shapes perception. Those unable to agree with my statement are likely either fortunate that they have never witnessed such cruelty, or they unknowingly perpetuate cruelty themselves.

Let me be clear. Rules are important. They create order, which is necessary when working with scores of students of staff members. After all, we couldn’t simply let kids turn in papers when they want, or have free reign of the hallways, or treat the classroom like they’re at a party. I teach graduate students, and I too have deadlines for assignments and expectations for formatting papers.

But I still agree with the gentleman who implied that often rules are for the convenience of the adult in charge rather than the academic growth of students. And I have seen such rules used in cruel ways against kids.

In my book, If the Dance Floor Is Empty, Change the Song, I share some experiences that cause me to believe the way I do. I tell a story about a teacher in a former district I worked who gave a student a zero—A ZERO—on a test for taking it in pen when the teacher required pencil.

Don’t think that’s cruel? What if I told you the student asked the teacher to borrow a pencil before the test, and was told no because that was his responsibility to remember a pencil? Would it matter is I told you the student was in 6th grade?

By any definition, that is cruelty. And it happens too often.

You can’t use the bathroom because you’ve already used your passes for the semester.

I don’t care that your power went out last night; the paper was due today and you should’ve started earlier.

Yes, you can borrow a pen but you need to give me your shoe for the period.

I have seen all these things in the name of preparing kids for the real world. Why don’t we remember that for kids, school is the real world? Our students are not doing brain surgery. They are not filing briefs with the court. They are not driving city buses that must be on time or the system breaks down. They are students, and their single most important priority is learning. If giving an extension on a paper, or letting them borrow a pencil, or not marking off points because they forgot to write their name helps the child learn more, isn’t that worth making an exception for?

When we blindly hold fast to arbitrary rules that we developed for our own convenience, instead of accommodating students who need it, we are not teaching kids to be prepared for some hypothetical future job; we are teaching them to hate school. And frankly, while all jobs have rules, most jobs are much more accommodating than we lead kids to believe. Can anyone reading this honestly say they never missed a deadline at work? And when you missed that deadline, were there consequences? I’m going to guess that most likely, the worst thing that happened was you were reminded to get it in on time in the future.

Yes, rules are important. They provide order. The best managers are excellent at enforcing the rules as written. The best leaders know when to make an exception based on the circumstances.

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If the Dance Floor Is Empty, Change the Song

My first book, If the Dance Floor Is Empty, Change the Song is now available for purchase. What can a deejay teach us about the classroom? What does a superintendent do besides decide when to close school for snow? What makes someone a great teacher or a great principal? In this collection of essays, Dr. Joe Clark answers these questions by offering a model for compassionate, principled, and student-centered school leadership. In the process, If the Dance Floor Is Empty, Change the Song offers leaders a handbook for placing kindness, community, and diversity at the heart of successful education. Click here to find it on Amazon.

Look what people are saying about the book.....

The  raw vulnerability with impeccable humor  and a whole lot of honesty is exactly what Joe has served up for you! If you've ever made a mistake or think you will, then this is a must-read. The lens in which he spins (pun intended) this book is insightfully hilarious!

     -LaVonna Roth, Speaker, Author & Chief Illuminator of Ignite Your S.H.I.N.E.®

It's been said that we never know the struggles that someone is going through, so we should treat them kindly always. In If the Dance Floor Is Empty, Change the Song, Joe Clark embraces his own vulnerability to share how he reclaimed his story after a traumatic childhood, and shares how he used his life experiences, and his experiences as a DJ and camp director, to guide his work as a school leader. This book is an often humorous, sometimes melancholy look into what teaching and school leadership is all about. It's a tremendous read that I know you'll enjoy.

     -Thomas C. Murray, Author of Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences that Impact a Lifetime

If the Dance Floor Is Empty, Change the Song is a look into the world of leadership, education, and how to treat students. Dr. Clark writes to inspire teachers, principals and superintendents to reflect on the mission of being educators while being reminded to enjoy their work. This quick read will help you reflect and smile as Dr. Clark shares meaning and humor in everyday moments.

     -Todd Whittaker, one of the nation’s leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness. Todd has written over 50 books including the national bestseller, What Great Teachers Do Differently. 

A refreshing read for leaders or educators of all levels both! This is the type of read that can rejuvenate a veteran or give new teachers tools to keep their morale and inspiration at its peak. The lessons you learn from this book can carry over throughout the year, even when you don't know if you can. 

     -Amber Teamann, principal of Whitt Elementary in Wylie ISD in Wylie, Texas. Amber has  received numerous awards, including Regional Assistant Principal of the Year and a “Principal of the Year” engagement award. She recently was recognized as the Dallas Down Syndrome Educator of the Year for her work with inclusivity on her campus.

“If the Dance Floor is Empty, Change the Song” by Joe Clark, is a cleverly-written book that will not only make you think about how we approach our jobs as educators, but it will make you chuckle out loud. Filled with personal stories, practical examples, on-point illustrations, and golden nuggets of wisdom, this book will be hard for readers to put down.

     -Jimmy Casas, Educator, Author, Speaker, Leadership Coach

If the Dance Floor Is Empty, Change the Song is a book that will leave you smiling and laughing at times. It will also validate your thinking about education at times. More importantly, it will challenge you to re-think why we serve as educators and what is most important when discussing education and the purpose of schools. This book is filled with scores of reflections on teaching, learning, and leading that are applicable to educators in all roles, especially school leaders.

     -Jeffrey Zoul, Ed.D., Author, Speaker, Leadership Coach, and President of ConnectEDD

As a newly appointed principal, I found this book witty, insightful, and inspiring. The real life stories and anecdotes that Dr. Clark provide, are relatable to teachers, school managers, and, honestly, anyone in a position of leadership. If the Dance Floor Is Empty, Change the Song should be required reading for both new and seasoned school administrators alike. It should be part of every principal and teacher’s motivational toolkit. 

     -David Thomas, Principal, St. Gabriel’s Special School, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland

Great, another leadership book! That was my first thought when I was asked to read If the Dance Floor is Empty, Change the Song. Once I read the first few pages I was hooked, I truly wanted to dance. Finally, a leadership book with great advice and a vast amount of humor. Yes, school is serious business. But if you don’t laugh and enjoy the experiences then why even be a school leader. Dr. Joe Clark has created an informative quick read that gives you relatable and useful information. I truly did laugh out loud at graphics, pie charts and stories. If you can’t relate to this book, then you truly have never danced to a good song or sat back and enjoyed the experience of being a school leader.  

     -Jack Berckemeyer, nationally-recognized presenter, author, and humorist. Former Assistant Executive Director for the National Middle School Association. 

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