Tweeting Is Easy. Educating is Hard.

Over the past 10 years I have extolled the virtues of Twitter for educators. The platform provides a fabulous way to connect with families and community, to brag about the great stuff students or staff are doing, and to interact with geniuses all over the planet to help us improve our craft.

Today, though, I offer a warning of the self-defeating Twitter rabbit hole that we all undoubtedly stumble upon from time to time, and many times perpetuate ourselves. No, I am not talking about the recent surge in white supremacists spreading their vicious hatred. (Used to be white supremacists tried to hide their affiliations…now they put it out there for all to see like a zit on prom night. But I digress.)

I’m talking about this: tweeting is easy; educating is hard. You can be overwhelmed with tweets that make you question your own skills as teachers, principals or superintendents. You may question whether you belong with those folks that present themselves as so dynamic, so professional, and so innovative.

Well, stop.               
 

On Facebook you find two kinds of posters: those who spew their political venom mistakenly thinking they will change someone’s mind; and those who post air-brushed images of family life where everyone is happy, the house is clean, and the dog isn’t humping a giant teddy bear. It’s natural. We put our best face forward, and people respond with likes or loves and maybe a comment with a cute emoji.

Twitter is the educator’s version of Facebook. Many of us post brilliant, thoughtful ideas to use in the classroom or how to build stellar relationships or how we ran a marathon this morning before we engaged our students with the single greatest problem-based-learning lesson since Maria Montessori was in diapers. Don’t get me wrong. That is all great stuff, and it can all be very insightful and encouraging. In fact, I post tons of the very same kind of stuff, and even wrote a book filled with much of the same.

The problem is when we start to think that life is like that 24/7 for those educators, that they never have a bad lesson or a disruptive student or moment of weakness where they yell at a kid.

It happens.

Flatliners was a 1990 movie starring Kevin Bacon (of course) about medical students who would take turns putting each other to death for a few minutes before bringing them back to life. In the time they were “dead,” the med students would experience hauntings of times when they did evil things. Then, when they were alive again, they would try to make amends for all of their mistakes.

My camp counselor friends and I used to talk about the Flatliners moments of our lives, about the times where we did something that we were so ashamed of that we rarely talk about it and would love to make amends for.

We have those as educators. I remember with horror when I was teaching high school English and a new transient student, Lisa B., was put in my class. She was immediately disruptive and rude, and I did absolutely nothing to try to welcome her, learn her story, or make a connection. Instead, I would be sarcastic back and look for reasons to kick her out of class.

One time Lisa came to class with a bag of Doritos. The rule in my class was no eating. So, what did I do? I wrote a note to the office that Lisa was eating in class, and I waited. About 20 minutes into class, Lisa opened the bag and took a bite. In less than two seconds she was on her way to the office with the note I had written 20 minutes earlier. I am embarrassed to write that story. As I have grown in my professional career, I reflect on many mistakes I made, this one included.

Nonetheless, you can find me on Twitter often talking about what teachers and principals should do, and I wrote a book with 250 pages of the same sort of material.

I’m a better teacher than I was 20 years ago. I’m a better principal. I’m a better superintendent. And I am a better person. But I am not perfect, and my mistakes are many.

Here’s the rabbit hole to avoid…don’t expect anyone else you follow or even admire on Twitter is perfect either. As you cruise Twitter, which you should, you will see all kinds of great ideas and advice. Absorb it, and constantly work to get better. But remember this…underneath the glitz and glamour of these well phrased tweets is a real person who has made many mistakes too.

So don’t abandon Twitter. Use it to develop your Professional Learning Community and your skills. Just ingest it with a heavy dose of realism, knowing that the work we do is incredibly difficult, mush harder than stringing together 280 characters or optimism. It is easier to tweet about being a good educator than it is to actually be a good educator.

Did you enjoy this column? If so, please share!

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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