New Principals Heed My Advice (or not)

Dr. Clark's Chronicles

 Many teachers will be hired into their first jobs as principals this summer. I’m not qualified to give advice to any of you. But here are some things I wish someone told me when I became a school administrator.

Five words you must learn to say: “I’m sorry. I was wrong.” I can only guarantee you one thing…you are going to mess up. When you do, don’t hide from your mistake or blame others. Admit it. Apologize to those you hurt. Do everything you can to make things better. And try not to make the same mistake again.

Never underestimate the power of the Popsicle. If you want a quick, fun way to gain support from kids and parents, buy a bunch of Popsicles, drive out to band camp, and give the kids a treat on a sweltering hot day. See my blog Don’t Ignore the Power of the Popsicle

Don’t…

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Is That a Reason To Vote No?

I’m Joe Public, and I am angry. I am angry because…

My daughter was cut from the cheerleading squad. But is that a reason to vote no?

The district sold land I wanted preserved as green space. But is that a reason to vote no?

The teachers do not pay enough for their health care. But is that a reason to vote no?

My son did not get enough playing time on the basketball team. But is that a reason to vote no?

The district built a new football stadium. But is that a reason to vote no?

A teacher was mean to my child. But is that a reason to vote no?

There is not enough diversity among the school staff. But is that a reason to vote no?

The money used from the land sale was used to build baseball and softball fields. But is that a reason to vote no?

I was treated poorly by my boss when I worked for the schools. But is that a reason to vote no?

My daughter was suspended when she should not have been. But is that a reason to vote no?

There are hundreds of reasons to vote yes.

Actually, there are 3,600 reasons. Nordonia students, who must compete for jobs, scholarships and college admissions with students from neighboring schools, deserve to have the same kinds of advantages neighboring districts provide their students. Robotics classes? Orchestra? American Sign Language and Chinese? Tutoring? STEM and AP classes? Neighbor kids competing with Nordonia kids have these opportunities to add to their skill set, their resumes, and their college applications.

There are thousands of reasons to vote yes.

Actually, there are 31,000 reasons. The citizens who live in the five Nordonia Hills communities deserve to have an educated populace to be the next generation of taxpayers who support them as they age. Roads will need paved, communities will need policed, and retirees will need financial support. We will need doctors and attorneys and construction workers and nurses and every other profession to ensure that work gets done, and gets done well. In short, our students need educated so they can become productive members of society serving the common good for older generations.

There are millions of reasons to vote yes.

Actually, there are untold millions of reasons. Any research comparing home values with quality schools will show a positive correlation. When communities have strong schools, they attract new residents who are educated and productive, adding to the tax base for each community. This growth perpetuates itself and communities remain vibrant. In communities where levies fail, families with children leave for greener pastures and home values drop. The last significant enrollment shift in Nordonia was in 2010, when nearly 200 students left the district. Why? Because the levy failed multiple times and opportunities for kids were being eliminated. Families moved to other districts or sent their kids to private schools.

So let’s go back to Joe Public, with his list of concerns about district decisions and his commitment to voting no. The saying “cutting off one’s nose to spite his face” is appropriate here. Voting no does nothing to ameliorate those concerns.

Instead of voting no and negatively impacting kids and community, look instead to solve the concern. Call the principal or athletic director or superintendent. Go to a board meeting demanding change. Even ask for the board to fire the superintendent or vote the board out of office, if you feel that strongly.

Don’t let a personal concern cause you to deny your kids and your community the schools they deserve.

You Don’t Have to Draw a Great Dinosaur: My Commencement Address to the Class of 2018

My parents were married on June 25, 1955. On March 25, 1956 (nine months to the day after my parents’ wedding), my brother Dave was born. In 1957, my sister Karen; 1958, Perry; 1959, Chris; 1960, Kim. Then my parents slowed down for a while and only had six more of us over the next ten years. I was last, born in 1970, the youngest of eleven.

So when you are the youngest of eleven, as you might expect, your parents are tired. They have other things on their mind and it is easy to get lost in the shuffle.

For example, I missed my first ever day of school. I went to Dunbar Elementary School in Tallmadge for kindergarten, and I was assigned to the afternoon class. On the first day of school I stood at the end of my driveway waiting for the bus…and waiting…and waiting. And it never came. My mom called the bus garage, and realized I was actually scheduled for morning kindergarten. One day in, and my chance at perfect attendance was already flushed down the toilet.

But the next day I tried again. I got up early, and sure enough the bus came to take me to school. When I arrived at school I was quickly overwhelmed. All of the other kids knew exactly what to do, where to put their stuff, where to sit. They all knew each other’s names and were laughing and playing with one another. And here I was, a four year old (I wouldn’t turn five for another month) who had no idea who or what anything was. I felt so out of place.

To make things worse, this one red haired kid–whose name I later would learn was Dave Varga–had drawn this incredible picture of a dinosaur. It was absolutely amazing. I had never seen such a beautiful dinosaur in my life. It looked so real, and had so many colors. I actually remember thinking to myself, “Oh my God, I am so over my head here. I do not belong in kindergarten. I can’t draw a dinosaur like that. How am I ever going to make it in life if I can’t draw a dinosaur like that? Mom is going to be so disappointed in me.”

This is how much better at art Dave was than I: in third grade I drew this picture of a bird in art class using only a red crayon. Red body, red beak, red feet, red eyes. I got a C-. My oldest brother Dave–who was 15 years older than me–always had a saying: if you can’t be anything else in life, be a bad example. When I showed Dave my solid red bird, with a solid red C-, Dave gave me some bad advice: go tell your teacher that your brother thinks she has no taste in art. So the next day I did. That did not go over well. And when I got home my mom made sure my butt was as red as my bird.

So anyway, the other Dave–Dave Varga–had drawn such an awesome dinosaur that I was distraught for the rest of my school career. I spent most of kindergarten just sitting by myself at the music center, listening to the song “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell on a record with those big headphones, over and over and over. Mr. Campbell was singing about making it big in the music business, about being where the lights are shining on him, about being so famous that he was getting cards and letters from people he doesn’t even know. It sounded exactly like the kind of thing that can happen to people who don’t miss their first day of kindergarten.

“Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell

I then spent the next eight years struggling at a Catholic school, where Sr. Shirley sent me to the hall for saying I hate math, and Mr. Yeager kicked me off the safety patrol for extortion, and Mrs. Anderson gave me a week’s detention for throwing paper airplanes with hat pins sticking out the front of them.

Then, in 9th grade I went back to Tallmadge for high school. In my Spanish class was this red haired kid. His book cover had all sorts of awesome doodles on it, and I quickly realized who this was. “You’re Dave!” I said. “We were in kindergarten together! You drew an awesome dinosaur on the second day of school!”

“Yes,” he said. “And also we go to the same church and have gone to Mass together every Sunday for the past eight years.”

Sometimes I am not the most observant person.

But it turns out Dave was a genius. First, he was a brilliant artist. You know how you guys have the Skin Squad at football games, and don’t wear shirts and paint GO KNIGHTS on your chests? Well in my day we had the bleacher bums. We all wore white coveralls that we decorated. I had no talent, so I asked Dave to make mine. Check it out.

In addition to art, Dave took four years of Spanish and four years of Russian. One time he was at the chalkboard writing a sentence in Spanish, and when he got to the end of the blackboard, he started writing backwards the other direction, so that if the blackboard was glass and you were on the other side, you could read it.

Dave was killed in a car accident about nine months after graduation. He was not drinking. But he was speeding, and he was not wearing his seat belt. But that is not why I am telling you about him.

I’m telling you about him because when I saw his awesome dinosaur I went into a “Rhinestone Cowboy” cocoon. Seeing Dave’s greatness made me doubt my own. I didn’t realize then that Dave being a genius did not mean that I was any less of a person.

In about an hour you guys are all going to be done with high school forever. I know you are excited about that, but I am guessing you have a little fear, too. Soon you’ll be starting college or a job or entering the military, and you may find yourself thinking “I can’t draw a dinosaur” while comparing yourself to everyone who can. But what I want you to know is, you don’t have to draw a great dinosaur to be a great person. What you do have to do is take the gifts and talents you have, and do everything you can to develop those to the best of your ability.  

You may have heard it said that “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

Every one of you has something that you are awesome at. It might be art. It might be math. You might be a great musician, or an actor, or maybe you can fix cars or counsel friends in need. It could be anything. Don’t waste your gifts, and never doubt yourself. Figure out what it is that you can do, and then do it.

Now let’s talk about that other Dave, Dave Clark, my brother, the brother who told me to tell my teacher she had no taste in art. Dave once hit me in the head with a sledge hammer. That was an accident. He also made me scrub our shower using my toothbrush. That was on purpose.

My brother Dave is now a teacher. But before that, he worked for my dad, who owned a small rubber company.

Now, all families have “stuff.” To give you a brief glimpse into my family’s “stuff,” my dad fired my brother Dave–his oldest son–from the rubber company. Thanksgiving that year was interesting.

But let me tell you this about my brother Dave, the guy who once pinned me down on our kitchen table and shoved lime jello down my pants. As my dad grew older and less able to get around, my brother Dave was at his house ALL THE TIME, mowing his huge lawn, or fixing his tractors, or feeding his chickens, or working on the tons of issues with my dad’s pond.

And when my dad was hospitalized or in assisted living for the last eight months of his life or so, Dave was always there visiting, keeping my dad company and telling him he loved him.

So for a guy who says, “If you can’t be anything else in life, be a bad example,” Dave is a pretty good example. He’s an example about the importance of forgiveness, and he’s an example about the importance of serving others.

Most of you are going to go on to be incredibly successful. You’ll have great jobs and be leaders of your communities. But none of that will be as important as how you treat other people. As you go through life, remember to forgive those who hurt you, and help those who need it. That’s a lesson I learned from my brother Dave.

And because we are talking about Daves, let’s talk about one more: Dave Broman.

Nordonia students, you have had the opportunity over the past four years to live with one of the happiest people on earth. You will not find another person in the world who loves life as much as Mr. Broman. I would bet not one of you has ever seen Mr. Broman in a bad mood. Even if he was suspending you, you always knew he cared.

Mr. Broman genuinely appreciates all gifts in life. And I am friends with Mr. Broman; I know he’s had tough times in life, I know he’s suffered loss, I know he’s dealt with all kinds of stuff like we all do. But I have never once heard him complain, and I have never heard him say a mean word to anyone.

Mr. Broman also is a great role model in how he lives his life. He’s early to bed and early to rise; he loves his AC/DC, but he doesn’t live a rock-n-roll lifestyle. He even eats healthy. I have been to dinner with him many times, and when I am ordering a double cheeseburger, Mr. Broman is keeping healthy and asking for a salad or a box of raisins or something like that.

If I have learned anything from Mr. Broman, it is to be grateful for the gifts in my life and for my life itself. Mr. Broman is grateful for every day, and he lives every day with a positive attitude.

Nordonia High School class of 2018, as you get ready to enter life after high school, my advice for you is to live like the three Daves. Use the talents you have been given without fear like Dave Varga. Be forgiving and care for one another like Dave Clark. And appreciate the gifts you have been given and show gratitude like Dave Broman.

We are so proud of you. Congratulations, and good luck!

Hang on to a Branch and Keep Doing Good: My Address to Nordonia High School Class of 2017

I am graduation-ed out.

Over the past two weeks I’ve attended three separate graduation ceremonies. My son Matthew graduated from Wadsworth High School on Sunday, where the ceremony went two hours. And my son Isaac graduated from Syracuse University the weekend before, where we attended TWO ceremonies: the business college’s convocation went almost two hours, and the commencement for the entire University went nearly three hours. In fact, it took an hour just for all the 5,000 graduates to process in.

So my goal tonight is to make you feel every bit of the pain that I felt the last two weekends. I plan to talk longer…….slower…………and be more boring than what I endured with my own kids.

I’m kidding. I know all you really want is to hear one specific name being called, and I know you’ve probably already tuned me out to play some Angry Birds or Candy Crush or check on the Cavs game on your phones.

Parents, I’m talking to you.

Mr. Broman, please put the fidget spinner away.

So I will keep it short tonight. But because my own two sons graduated this year, parents, I feel as if I am sitting right there with you. And students, I feel as if I’m speaking to my own kids. So I want to take this chance to give you the exact same advice I gave my boys as they graduated.

There are just two things I want you to keep in mind.  

Number one: as we have seen all too clearly here in Nordonia over the past year and a half, your life is the most precious gift you have ever been given.

So, live.

Don’t treat your life like you did those countless presents you’ve gotten through the years, the ones you played with for a little while then crammed in a closet only to later give to Goodwill or sell at a garage sale.

Your life is a gift. Live it. Because before you know it you will be sitting at your own son or daughter’s graduation wondering where the time went.

Tonight you are sitting with some of your best friends in the world. You’ve shared some great times together and have some great stories. Games, concerts, dances, spirit week, Broman…

I remember my own high school days. Our girls softball team won the state championship my senior year, we would hang out at Parasson’s after Friday night football games, and my buddies and I would always try to prank each other when we were going on dates.

For example, one time my friend Marc was taking a girl to the movies in his dad’s new cream colored Volvo. While Marc and his date were watching the movie, my friends and searched the parking lot, found the car which he had foolishly left unlocked, and filled it with beach balls, sprinkled it with raisins, and covered it with seven or eight plungers.

Now they were new plungers…we didn’t want to be gross. But toilet plungers are usually made of black rubber, and these can leave dark stains on the sides of whatever you are plunging. Even plungers made from brown rubber — which are designed for plunging sinks–can do this.

And you now know more about plungers than my friends and I did.

So when Marc pulled the plungers off the car to find they left a bunch of black rings on a new Volvo, Marc’s dad wasn’t happy. Nor was my dad happy when Marc’s dad called him and told him what I was a part of.

That night seems like yesterday to me, but it was 30 years ago. Thirty years! And all I can do now is think back to those good old days wishing I could live them over.

One of my favorite TV shows was The Office. Andy Bernard said something brilliant in the final episode. He said, “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them.” Class of 2017, these ARE the good old days. EVERY day is the good old days. Don’t waste them.

You never know when is last time you will see someone. You never know when is the last time you will do something. You never know when is the last time you will visit somewhere. Savor each day. Never take a minute for granted. Put the phones down and do something. You’ll never get the time back.

My second piece of advice also is really simple: Do good.

Understand, doing good and doing well are not the same thing. Mother Teresa did good. Warren Buffet does well.

It’s ok to want to do well. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do well. It’s the American way.

But if you want to do well, you start by doing good. You have a responsibility, I believe, to pay forward the blessings that you were given.

Don’t take for granted the advantages you have.

• You can read, so you are luckier than over one billion people in the world who can’t.
• If you woke up this morning healthy, then you are luckier than the million who will not survive this week.
• If you have never experienced war, imprisonment, torture, or starvation, then you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
• If you can attend any meeting you want–political, religious, social–then you are luckier than 3 billion people in the world.
• If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, then you’re richer than 75 percent of the world.

We all have struggles, but in the big picture we all are blessed beyond belief and have tons of advantages simply because of where we were born.

Pay that forward. You don’t have to be Mother Theresa. But choose something you care about, something bigger than yourself, and give. Make the world a better place.

Of course you have already started to do that. I am so proud to report that this graduating class has done more than 13,000 hours of community service to make Nordonia a better place.

Now understand, people who try to make the world a better place often are the targets of attacks and ridicule. To paraphrase Albert from that classic American film A Million Ways to Die in the West, there is always a guy in the crowd who wants to make fun of the hero’s shirt.

I’m the youngest of eleven kids. I have six older brothers. When I was young, my brothers used to make me climb to the top of the tallest tree in our yard, and then they would throw baseballs at me.

I know that may sound abusive, but it actually prepared me for being a superintendent more than any college class ever did!

“Why didn’t we have a snow day??” Wham!

“My bus was late!!” Skiddoosh!!

“LEVY??????” Kablammo!!!

Doing good can sometimes feel like that, like you’re at the top of a tree being pelted with baseballs. But when that happens, what you need to do is just hang on to a branch and keep doing good. What is that branch for you to hang onto? It’s your family. It’s your friends. It’s your faith. It’s your commitment to doing what is right.

Speaking of Mother Theresa…this is what she wrote.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

Ultimately, your success is not going to be measured in how much you have, but how much you gave.

Nordonia High School class of 2017, enjoy this evening. But remember that this is not the end, it’s the beginning. As you venture out in the world, remember to live your lives and do good things. Congratulations!

Be Alive, Be Kind, Be Thankful: My Commencement Address to the Class of 2016

This year I decided for every tweet I was tagged in asking for a snow day, I would add one minute to my graduation speech. Get comfortable.

I’m kidding. I know all you want to hear is your name being called as you walk across the stage, so I’m not going to delay that very much longer. But I do want to take this opportunity to give you three small pieces of advice.

My first piece of advice is this: Be alive. Your life is the most precious gift you have ever been given. Live it. No great story ever starts with “I was sitting on the couch watching TV.” Take the skills you learned here at NHS, take the work ethic, take the pride, take the grit and determination, and create a story of your life that is incredible.

When you have the chance to do something out of the ordinary, say yes. Your own principal Mr. Wright jumped out of an airplane. Dr. Beery and Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Coleman run marathons A few weeks ago I saw Mr. Broman walking really fast with a pair of scissors.

My career in education started 25 years ago as an English teacher. I became an English teacher partly because of the movie Dead Poets Society, a movie you may not know, but your parents certainly do. In the movie, Robin Williams played an English teacher who used poetry to teach his students to “carpe diem”– “seize the day” — to make their lives extraordinary. That movie inspired me, and I wanted to make a difference in kids lives through the study of classic literature.

So every Monday through Friday I was an English teacher. And every Saturday I was a mobile disc jockey. I DJed parties for John Elway and Dan Marino when they were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I DJed a graduation party for LeBron James. And for over 20 years I DJed hundreds and hundreds of weddings, parties and school dances.

My students knew I was a DJ because I played at most of our school dances. I was at your prom a few weeks ago and saw how about 500 of you spent the night jumping up and down. Back in the day, though, school dances usually involved all the girls dancing in the middle of the dance floor while all the guys stood around the outside edges waiting for a slow dance.

While DJing was a hobby for me, I felt like teaching was my calling. I truly wanted to make a difference in kids’ lives. I wanted kids to be inspired by my lessons. I wanted them to stand up on their desks at the end of the year and say “O Captain, my Captain!”

So one graduation night, right here at EJ Thomas, after the ceremony one of my students, Jeff Lovell, approached me. I was Jeff’s English teacher for two years, one of his football coaches, and his Mock Trial adviser. Jeff and I spent lots and lots of time together over his four years of high school, and he became one of my favorite students.

Jeff said, “Mr. Clark, I want to thank you. You were the most influential teacher I ever had. You taught me the most important lesson in all of my high school years.”

I was speechless. To make a difference in a kid’s life is a teacher’s greatest hope, and to be recognized and thanked for it is a teacher’s greatest joy.

So I asked him, “Jeff, what was the lesson? What did I say that inspired you so much?”

Jeff said, “You taught me to fast dance. At all my high school dances I was the only guy out there with all those ladies! That was the best advice I ever got!”

I said “You mean your greatest lesson wasn’t something profound we studied in Chaucer or Shakespeare?”

And he said “Shakes-who now?”

You all have great stories about your times at NHS. You will remember them forever. You will laugh about them at class reunions and tell your kids about the fun you had. But don’t make these stories the best stories of your life.

Jeff’s advice is really good. Get on the floor and dance. Where you go and what you do is entirely up to you. The best stories of your life, the stories that your children’s children will tell about you, haven’t happened yet. You are in control of the stories you write the rest of your lives. Make them extraordinary.

My second piece of advice is this: Be kind.

Maya Angelou was an American treasure who died two years ago. Maya Angelou was a writer, a speaker, an actor, a poet, a civil rights activist…she was indeed a living legend who I was fortunate to hear speak a year before she died.

Maya Angelou said that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. She reminded us that we have the ability everyday to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.

What does that mean, to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud? Everybody here is fighting a battle that you know nothing about. You are sitting here tonight with classmates who have been abused or neglected, classmates who have faced horrible illnesses, classmates who have experienced deaths of loved ones.

So when you have the opportunity to say something kind, say it. When you have the opportunity to lend a hand, lend it. When you have the opportunity to be a friend, be it. And when you mess up, admit it. Five of the most underused words in the world are: “I’m sorry, I was wrong.”

You will be a character in the stories of everybody you meet. How they describe you will be up to you. Will they describe you as arrogant and mean? Will they describe you as kind and caring and compassionate? It’s your call.

You might remember Mr. Yeager, who was a math teacher at the middle school when you were students there. Mr. Yeager actually began his teaching career in the early 1980s at Annunciation School in Akron, where I was one of his first students.

He used to write notes home every week to three or four kids who did really well. His handwriting was very distinctive, all caps, neat and straight.

It was the same handwriting he used when he wrote this note to my parents in 1981 when I was in 6th grade:

DEAR MR. AND MRS CLARK,

I REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR SON JOE HAS BEEN KICKED OFF OF THE SAFETY PATROL FOR EXTORTION.

PAUL YEAGER

You see, at Annunciation our playground was in the church parking lot, which was across the street from the school. So we strong, mature sixth grade safety patrol members were supposed to help the little first and second graders cross the street safely to get to recess.

We were NOT supposed to tell the kids that we would report them to the principal for jaywalking if they didn’t bring us some candy the next day.

Looking back on it now, I can see how some people may have considered that inappropriate. I thought I was just being funny, but I learned my lesson and paid my dues.

Twenty-seven years later I was hired as the Assistant Superintendent of the Nordonia Schools. On a Thursday morning in early September, I received a note in my mailbox. The handwriting made me immediately flashback 27 years. It was very distinctive, all caps, neat and straight. The note said,

MR. CLARK,

I RUN THE FOOTBALL POOL FOR THE DISTRICT. LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET IN ON IT.

PAUL YEAGER.

I sent Mr. Yeager an email telling him that I needed to meet with him in private the next afternoon to discuss a very serious matter.

I keep everything. So I went home, dug through my stuff, and found the note that Mr. Yeager had written 27 years earlier kicking me off the safety patrol. And I found my yearbook from my sixth grade year at Annunciation. And the next afternoon I went to see Mr. Yeager in his classroom.

We sat down and I took out the note asking me to join the football pool. I said, “Did you send me this note asking to participate in a gambling ring at school?”

He turned pale and started stammering. “Well…it’s just…a little…for fun…” I cut him off.

“No, you don’t understand,” I said. “This note looks a lot like this note you wrote me 27 years ago when you kicked me off the safety patrol.”

And he breathed a sigh of relief, and we laughed a little, and then we browsed through the yearbook reminiscing about some of my old classmates. And when we came to the faculty page I saw that I had drawn a black eye and a horrible scar on his picture.

So the lesson of this story is, be kind to everyone, because you never know who’s going to end up being your boss.

And my final piece of advice it this: Be thankful. The fact that you are sitting here in this beautiful auditorium, graduating from a fabulous, free public school, surrounded by family and friends who love you, and that you will go home to a warm house with a refrigerator full of food is evidence of the blessings you have that 90 percent of the rest of the world doesn’t.

Once upon a time a mother and her young son were walking along the ocean shore. Suddenly, a tidal wave swept over them and carried the boy out to sea.

The mother was horrified. She fell to her knees pleading with God. “Please return my son,” she prayed. “Please, please, please, please return my son. I beg you!”

A moment later another tidal wave crashed upon the shore, depositing the young boy at his mother’s feet. He was perfectly fine. There wasn’t a scratch on him.

The mother took a minute and inspected her son, then looked back towards heaven and shouted, “Ummmmm…he HAD a hat!”

Too often people worry so much about the things they don’t have that they forget to be grateful for the things they do.

We do it as students, as teachers, as superintendents, as parents, and as spouses. The problem is, when we spend time wishing different ways our lives could be better, the pretty-darn-good lives we have pass us by.

Gratitude is a choice. It means making a conscious effort to be thankful for the many blessings in our lives.

Health. Family. Friends. Homes. Jobs. Food. Clothing. Etc. Etc. Etc.

We all fall in the trap of ingratitude from time to time. I am as guilty of this as anyone.

Instead of being thankful my son mowed the lawn, I criticize him for missing a spot. Instead of being grateful for having the opportunity to attend free public schools, we complain about too much homework. Or not enough snow days. Instead of being happy for having a job, we grumble about having to work during the Cavs game.

We need to look for the good in everything. We need to be grateful for what we have. We need to stop whining. We need to be thankful the wave returned our child and remember that the lost hat just isn’t that important.

That’s it, guys, three things I hope you remember. Be alive. Be kind. Be grateful. Do those three things, and you are on your way to a fabulous life.

I always have mixed feelings at this time of year; I feel nostalgic for years gone by; I feel joy for the families and friends here celebrating this great night; I feel relief that another year is coming to a close. But when I look over this graduating class, what I feel most is hope. Nordonia High School Class of 2016, you give me great hope that our future is bright indeed. Congratulations and best wishes.

If You Can’t Find a Turtle, Be the Turtle

Dr. Clark's Chronicles

I spent the ten best summers of my life at CYO Camp Christopher in Bath, Ohio. I was a counselor, a bus driver and the Day Camp Director. Today I was reminded of a story from my days as a camp director.

We had themes for each week of the summer, and we would program activities around each theme. For Western Week we would always have a “gold rush,” during which we would paint small rocks gold and hide them around the camp for campers to find.

During Music Week we would have the Day Camp Jug Band, where all of us counselors would bring some kind of instrument from home, whether we could play or not, and put on a concert for the campers.

I could give 1,000 more examples, but you get the point.

So, during Animal Week each year each group of campers was supposed to catch…

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Leaders Don’t Do Threats, They Do the Right Thing

Dr. Clark's Chronicles

It happens more often than you would think.

From time to time, parents or community members or sometimes even staff have something they want or need, and they will attempt to get it not through reasonable discussion, but through implicit or explicit threats.

Maybe these folks want something for their child: a changed grade or more playing time or transportation privileges or a detention cancelled. They may want something for themselves: a new assignment, a granted leave, a waived fee, access to unavailable facilities.

The threats may be covert. “I’ve always supported your levy” means they might not next time. An emailed complaint CCed to a board member or supervisor means if you don’t give me what I want you will be in trouble.

The threats may be overt. Sometimes they threaten litigation. Sometimes they threaten to never support a future levy if their wishes aren’t granted. Almost always they…

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Heroes Emerge

A Nordonia family suffered a tragedy on January 11 when their house exploded. The family of four died. News that it was not accidental shocked the community, and we in the schools were devastated by the death of Ruthie Mather, a Northfield Elementary School second grader. Ruthie was smart, and sweet, and kind, and a wonderful artist. She was adored by teachers and classmates, and she loved coming to school. We will miss her terribly.

In times of tragedy, though, heroes emerge. The safety forces in our community do incredible work in horrible conditions, and they should be praised for their professionalism and calmness in the face of chaos.

The entire Northfield staff did incredible work helping their students and each other through the initial stages of the grieving process. Many, many staff members from other buildings offered amazing support as well.

Losing a student is a school person’s worst nightmare. The kids we work with every day are like our own. We are their surrogate mothers and fathers, and we are in a profession that has unbelievable highs and heart-breaking lows. The community should know how truly dedicated and caring the Nordonia Schools staff is. They are generous and empathetic and caring. Your kids are in good hands.

We also saw an outpouring of compassion and generosity from our community. A sampling of unsolicited emails I received in the hours following the tragedy show the mercy of this community.

From Lynn Hermensky: “Absolutely devastating.  As you know I work for Hospice of the Western Reserve and we have a school crisis team – we absolutely can send someone out ASAP if you need additional resources.  Please let me know as this is the least I can do until you let us parents know what else is needed.”

From Rev. Jason Haymaker: “Hi Dr. Clark. I am the Lead Pastor at Western Reserve Grace Church here in Macedonia. Writing to offer our help to come alongside you and your staff during this time of loss for students and families in light of the tragedy in Northfield. I have a family ministries staff that cover the ages of birth through High School. Myself, and my team offer to be at your disposal. I have no agenda other than authentically seeking to offer our encouragement and help. Please feel free to call me personally if we can help in anyway. Praying for you Dr. Clark. Leading through times like this is tough…I get it.”

From Rev. Russ Ham, Senior Pastor at United Methodist Church of Macedonia : “I am grateful for your concern, Joe; of course you can call on me or Paul Sheneman if necessary for any help.  Situations like this make me thankful for many things, one of which is knowing the staff and faculty in our schools are caring, involved, compassionate and helpful.  You all go far beyond academics.  Lynn and I thank God for you regularly.”

From Dan Stanko, manager of Chick-fil-A: “Hi Joe. I heard about the tragedy in Northfield this morning – I want to help, please let me know what we can do. I know this is a hectic time but when you have the opportunity please call me at the restaurant or on my cell phone. In the meantime my leadership and I will be praying.” Chick-fil-A then provided lunch for all Northfield staff members for two days.

Each of us go through our lives with critics. Some of our critics are more vocal or visible than others, but as they say, there is always a guy in the crowd making fun of the hero’s shirt. While critics may need to look for the right time to throw stones, there is never a wrong time to be kind. And the truth is, the Nordonia community is full of kind, caring, compassionate people, people who go out of their way to help others in need.

Some people see the donut, and some people see the hole. I see the donut. (In fact, I see way too many donuts if you know what I mean). When I retire a long time from now, I’m going to remember all of the wonderful people I worked with and the community I served.

Nordonia is a fabulous place. You should be proud of your community and proud of your schools. Don’t let it take a tragedy to remember that.

Ride the Train and other Advice for New Teachers

 Today we held New Teacher Orientation for our new staff members. It was a privilege to be with this group of excited professionals looking to build a fabulous career. My message to them was brief, but focused on the following points:

Why you? We had thousands of applications and conducted hundreds of interviews for the positions those folks were hired to fill. We didn’t hire them because we thought they fit the “Nordonia Way.” We hired them because we saw something in them that we wanted to become more like. They are talented and professional, and we hope to learn from them and benefit from their talents.

Camp Is for the Campers Camp is for the campers, and school is for the students (see my related blog HERE). While teaching will provide a wonderful career, put a roof over their heads and food on the table…school is for the students. They are who we serve.

The Greatest Miracle in the World Og Mandino wrote, “The surest way to doom yourself to mediocrity is perform only the work for which you are paid.” (See the quote HERE). None of our new teachers were sitting at orientation this morning hoping they will have a long, mediocre career. They want to have a great career. The way to ensure that is to give more than is expected.

Easiest Job in the World Being a mediocre teacher can be the easiest job in the world. By treating kids well and not making waves, the mediocre can coast through a long career. But being a great teacher is the hardest job in the world. Great teachers differentiate instruction, put in long hours, worry about their students, facilitate awesome learning activities, give meaningful assessments and let the results of the assessments drive their instruction, and so much more. You can have a long career of mediocrity and never be noticed. But the great ones take risks, make mistakes, and keep trying.

35 Years Great teachers teach 35 years, not one year 35 times. Great teachers understand that kids change, technology changes, the research on quality instruction changes. Dusting off lesson plans year after year is a way to doom yourself to mediocrity. It is fine to continue practices that work. After all, you don’t throw out the steak if the fly lands on the baked potato. But great teachers reflect and adjust constantly. If you aren’t reflecting, you better be a vampire.

Your Retirement Party Everyone will eventually have a retirement party, and everyone at the retirement party will be happy. Will they be happy FOR you retiring or BECAUSE you are retiring? Being a great teacher also means being a great colleague. Be professional and ethical and work collaboratively with your colleagues.

The Second Fisherman I have kept THIS poem in my wallet since 1988. Teaching is a mission. School is literally a life or death proposition for some students. While some students may have a great chance of success because of their family circumstances, there are others whose only chance literally rests on the quality of their education. The only opportunity they will ever have to find a job with health care and a pension comes from the quality of education they receive. We can’t give up on any student, ever.

Ride the Train Many kids are on the train alone. We need to do everything we can to protect these kids, to make them feel safe and valued, to ensure they are able to focus on learning. See my blog about my terrifying train experience HERE.

Kids won’t follow rules in May……because you told them the classroom rules in August. They follow rules in May if you build relationships in August.

Hero or Villain? All of your students will one day tell stories about you. Maybe they will tell stories at their class reunion, or tell stories to their kids or spouse. And you will be a character in every one of your student’s story. Will you be a hero or a villain? That is entirely up to you. Treat kids well. Make sure they describe you with adjectives that make you proud.

Wanted: Great Teachers AND Great Employees

As we are in the midst of hiring season, I have been interviewing many, many candidates hoping to land a teaching job with us. The ideal candidate–in addition to having the ability to walk on water–teaches dynamic lessons, differentiates instruction, communicates with students’ families, uses formative assessment to guide instruction, develops great relationships with students, knows how to integrate technology into the classroom and exhibits Extensive Professional Commitment.

Most teaching candidates know this, of course, and they come to interviews prepared to answer questions related to these topics. Some candidates seem more sincere than others, some more nervous, some have different experiences, some seem to have a deeper understanding of these ideas than others. But overall, it is rare to find a candidate who doesn’t understand what it takes to be a good teacher. (Putting it into practice is another matter entirely).

But being a good teacher doesn’t necessarily mean a person is going to have a successful 35-year career.

Consider this: assuming a teacher works for 35 years, and factoring salary and benefits, each new hire is potentially a $3-4 million investment for a school board. Realizing this, districts look to hire folks that are not only going to be dynamic in the classroom, but also good colleagues.

In other words, it is not enough to be a great teacher. One also must be a good employee.

What does that mean? It means that teachers who come to interview need to realize that hiring decisions are often made by much more than what is said in the interview. Decisions are made based on:

• How well did the candidate treat the secretary who scheduled the interview?
• How responsive was the candidate to returning phone calls or emails to schedule the interview?
• How well did the candidate treat the receptionist who welcomed him to the interview?
• How prompt was the candidate to the interview?
• How professional did the candidate appear?
• How much did the candidate research about the place he may be working for the next 35 years?
• How likely does it appear the candidate will be able to work well with others, to be part of a team, to be a positive ambassador for the district to others in the community?

The perfect employee

Great teachers know they should teach 35 years, not one year 35 times.

And after that 35-year career, each teacher will have a retirement party. At that retirement party, all the guests will be happy. If you have been a good employee, the guests will be happy FOR you retiring. If you haven’t been a good employee, they will be happy BECAUSE you are retiring.

Rest assured, when looking to hire teachers, I will always look to hire those that have the skills to be great performers in the classroom. But to get a job with us, a person needs to show that they will not only be a great teacher, but a great employee.