Candy Is Delicious Food.

Enjoy Some Every Day!

For ten summers--from my high school graduation until I became a principal--I worked at CYO Camp Christopher in Bath, Ohio. I started as a bus driver and counselor and eventually became the Day Camp Director for six seasons. 

Many things changed between the start and end of my career as a camp counselor. Frankly, as time went by things seemed to get less gross and more safe. In my early years--the late 1980s and early 1990s--we sang songs about boogers, we rode horses without helmets, we tried to get the kids to be as loud as they could be on the bus rides to and from camp, we drank bug juice all day, and sunscreen was unheard of.

By the time I left the world of camp, things softened. Booger songs were set aside for “the song that never ends,” helmets were mandatory at the stables, we were silent on the bus when we were crossing a railroad track, campers had to drink a cup of water with their lunch before they were allowed a cup of bug juice, and lathering kids in sunscreen became part of the morning routine.

One other significant change was snack time. By the late 1990s, the afternoon snack we provided campers consisted of things like yogurt, fresh fruit, and graham crackers. But back in the day, sugar was king. 

Lemonheads. 

Jolly Joes.

Gobstoppers.

Fireballs.

It was candy, and it was delicious. And just in case you forgot how delicious it was, inside each package a reminder was printed in bold letters: Candy Is Delicious Food. Enjoy Some Every Day.

That saying became the camp staff’s mantra. It was our reminder to embrace the joy in life, even those days when joy was hard to find. To be honest, finding joy at camp was never really a hard thing to do. But if a thunderstorm caused us to cancel swimming for the day, candy was still delicious food. 

It may be harder to find joy in a classroom. Work is work, and the most engaging lessons, the lessons that students absolutely love doing, still can be difficult and stressful. Add in the workload of your students' other classes, and the unknown stressors they face at home, and even the best teachers may struggle to keep things light from time to time. If your lessons are not engaging, or you’re mean or unreasonable, that’s even worse.

But candy is delicious food. Look for ways to give your students some every day. That candy may be in the form of a smile, a sticker on a paper, a 30-second stretch break, singing happy birthday to a classmate, playing soft music while students work. It might be a story about your dog, or a take-your-shoes-off day. It might even be actual candy (but avoid nuts, and have some sugar- and dye-free on hand for those students who need it).  

Some of you are reading this thinking, “This is ridiculous. Kids don’t need candy every day. We need to prepare them to be adults.”

I ask you, don’t you love when the waiter brings your bill and includes some mints with it? Don’t you love buying a soda or a snack from a vending machine and finding an extra quarter in the change slot? Don’t you love when you go to the hardware store and it’s free popcorn day? Don't you love when someone asks if you lost weight? Or noticed your haircut? Or commented on how cute your bag is? 

Can’t any of those things happen and turn a bad or average day into a good one?

Candy is delicious food. And you have the opportunity to satisfy the sweet tooth of each of your students every day.

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It took me exactly one day to read this book from cover to cover. I sat on my patio for two hours without stopping. I've not done that in years, last time was a very well written fiction series, not a book on leadership. This book is sensational, and Dr. Clark's witty writing style combines with stories, wisdom, and anecdotes that are as relatable as they are applicable. If you have any sort of interaction with students in a school setting, the application of Dr. Clark's writings in this book will literally change the world for your students. It doesn't matter if you're the custodian, the bus driver, the reading tutor...if you work with students, pick this book up, then get to work living out its advice.

Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, had a knack for breaking the hard things in life down to a simple level and expressing those things to children in a non-intimidating way. Likewise, Dr. Joe Clark in this book has a knack for breaking down the hardest parts of leadership in education into simple terms, and he delivers his message in such a way that it feels like nothing more than friendly advice from a neighbor. This book will forever be in my recommendations to fellow school employees and educators. Thank you for the excellent read, Dr Clark!

     -Zach Bruce, verified Amazon purchaser

Great book! My best read of 2020. Easy to read and relate to. Highly recommend for those new to school administration and looking for practical wisdom. Dr. Clark’s humor and honesty combine to encourage you to “change the song.”

     -Katie, verified Amazon purchaser

Dr. Clark’s book is full of practical, humorous, and wise advice for school leaders. The honesty with which he writes is inspiring and reminds us how important it is to always put kids first.

      -Michelle Kravetz, verified Amazon purchaser

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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