#ELBlog #252: Hey Neighbor

World Education Summit

#ELBlog #251: It’s A Choice

#ELBlog #250: It All Matters

#ELBlog #249: Taking Down

#ELBlog #248: Gentling

#ELBlog #247: Each One Reach One

#ELBlog #246: Three Dots

#ELBlog 245: Send All The Shoes You Have

#ELBlog #244: Empty Bowl

#ELBlog #243: WIN Time

#ELBlog #242: BEAR!!!!

#ELBlog #241: How Nice

Free Writing Workshop With Andrew Marotta

Free Writing Workshop With Andrew Marotta

#ELBlog #240: Sit Next To The Person Who Knows What They’re Doing

Holiday Sale!

#ELBlog #239: Leadership Lessons From The Lobstah

#ELBlog #238: Dealing With Some S.H.%T.

Holiday Sale!

#ELBlog #237: Re-Charge vs. Refuel

#ELBlog #236: Yes, We’ll Play

#ELBlog#235: Hi Andrew….

#ELBlog #234: Sh$@&y Yet Clean

#ELBlog #233: Starfishing

#ELBlog #232: Pick Your Spot

#ELBlog #231: She Flies With Her Own Wings

#ELBlog #230: That Sparkle In His Eye

#ELBlog #229: Hell Of A View

I was in a busy food court recently and saw a sign that caught my attention. While other restaurants were busy with people placing orders and milling around, this one restaurant had a sign in front of it. It struck me as odd initially. Why would any restaurant lose the opportunity to turn down customers…

This past summer I was able to get together with some amazing educational leaders: Jeff Evener, Kevin Spainhour, and Dr. Larry Dake. We spent a few days together finishing up our collaborative leadership book entitled Dad‘s, Leaders, and Father Figures: Creating Influence and Legacy For A Lifetime. While we set an agenda and a to-do…

There’s so much talk out there about self-care. So many of us see it and hear about it, but do we really practice it? Do you really focus on taking care of yourself each and every day? I have lost sight of this on my journey recently, through the ups and downs, especially during the…

Every once in a while someone, something, or some experience changes the way we look at things. I believe in the power of a single experience that can change the course of where you are and where you were going. I love when this happens. I look for those and constantly ask myself is this…

A few months ago our school district’s phone system had an upgrade. Soon afterward, I started to hear a beep and a message would pop up saying: That’s a bit loud! Consider lowering your voice. It kept popping up again and again until I physically had to turn it off. It did get me thinking…

My oldest daughter is turning 16 this summer. I love watching her grow into the young lady she is becoming. As many of you who have teenagers know, watching their choices of self expression is also very beautiful. It can be challenging at times, but watching their creative spirits blossom on the journey of teenagehood…

I had a very unique experience at work the other day as a middle school Principal. Two days later as I write this, I’m still in awe over the entire experience. I make many phone calls to students’ homes each day. Some good, some bad, some short, some long. You’d never know it, but I…

The best part about doing the #ELB Podcast is that I get to meet amazing people every week, from all over the world. Literally! A few weeks back I had a chance to talk with the great Michael Carter, (Lake County, Superintendent, Oregon). Michael is a veteran educator, extremely well-read, has traveled the globe and…

Distraction,Defiance, or Coping? By Melissa Garner Attending a conference session where the leader is open about personal struggles and strengths is a liberating experience. ADHD and ConcentrationAndrew recently keynoted a conference I attended. In his talk, he openly acknowledged having the superpower of ADHD. Hearing that, I felt free to unhide the crochet project I…

How does a boat enter the world’s smallest harbor? We were fortunate enough to watch it firsthand. What an experience! My wife and I had a beautiful visit to the Pacific Northwest in the spring. We had a wonderful time seeing all the sights and sounds along the Oregon coast. We stopped in the small…

After my 200th podcast, I had some great reflection. I went back and looked at many of the guests I’ve met, their leadership stories, and just the collaborative nature of the whole program. Everyone has a story to tell and I was blessed to be around to hear their stories, and share them as well…

If we didn’t see it live, we all saw it on social media, the news, or via a message from a friend. We all saw Will Smith slap Chris Rock. In this blog post, I’m not here to debate whether it was deserved or totally out of line. Or whether Chris Rock’s joke was off-color,…

I was in a pizzeria recently (I am quite often as pizza is my favorite food!) and I watched the guy behind the counter stack what seemed like 100 boxes on the counter. I said “you’re not gonna lift that whole stack at once are you?” He glared back at me and responded “of course…

Happy Fathers Day!  My best to all the Dads out there, men who act as father figures, and to the amazing Mom’s who play both roles.  Enjoy the journey. ANNOUNCEMENT FLASH:  Excited to announce my latest leadership project coming this late summer, early fall: Dads, Leaders, and Father Figures: Creating Influence & Legacy for a…

Whenever I travel to my kids’ games or tournaments, one of the things I like to do is get outside in between the events and see the local area. I’ll bring my exercise clothes, earbuds, and get away for a period of time. I love the exercise and being out of the loud congested areas.…

My wife and I had a few minutes while waiting for my daughter to come out from soccer practice. We looked at each other and said let’s call Fernando. He’s a very good friend of ours who we had not spoken to in a while. So we called, and he answered on the first ring.…

I listen to a variety of podcasts of all different genres. One of them I listen to is about fatherhood and relationship building with your spouse. I heard something during one episode that really resonated with me. It was about the components of a date with a loved one or partner. They stated that dates…

There’s that old saying that kids say the darndest things, and it’s so true. You never know what kids are going to say, especially at the middle school age level. Kids of that age group have the best humor and curiosity, all while dealing with the challenge of trying to figure everything out. A student…

I love seeing people in their creative outlet. Whether it’s at a concert, a cooking show, a comedian, or a teacher working in their classroom. I love seeing people in their creative spirit and in their element. I recently had two experiences where I watched two masters of their craft begin and thrive working in…

#ELBlog #208: Mothers Day I dedicate today’s blog to my Mom, Dorothy Marotta. I love my Mom–she is smart, strong, loving, and dedicated to me and our family. Here is one of the excerpts of my newest book, Tales from the Hardwood…a story about Mom. I so enjoyed having her come to the games I…

#ELBlog #207: Moments Even though I had work to do, and many things that needed to get done on my plate I decided to pause, put down the phone, and invest two hours into watching the 2019 award-winning movie Rocketman. I needed a break from all of the work, and wanted a little escape. I…

#ELBlog #206: Airtight Compartments A lot of people ask me, how do you do it? How do you do it all? How do you get it all done? Your life must be crazy! Well, I think I’m a little crazy, but in a good way, I enjoy the pressure. I enjoy the journey of creativity,…

My daughter has been asking recently about getting mirrored sliding doors for the closet in her room. She was hoping to make the space look bigger and not have the closet doors swing out so much. So, on a recent weekend, we had a little free time and stopped into Lowes. They actually had the…

#ELBlog #204: Guest Blog: Feed-Forward I love feedback! When people are inspired and moved by a #ELBlog post, I know I hit the mark. Here is an awesome response from Heather Lyon. Heather is an Assistant Superintendent in the Buffalo, NY area, author, Mom, and more. I love her style of writing as it challenges…

#ELBlog #203: Now I Can Really Call You Sh*!head I feel so blessed that my family and I were able to get to the beach during the Christmas-New Year’s week holiday. I thoroughly enjoyed the time with them and of course the warm sun. One afternoon, we were just relaxing, sitting on the beach, and…

#ELBlog #202: Sunrise To Sunset We were on a family vacation in Miramar Beach, Florida which is in the Panhandle of Florida, only 30 miles from the Alabama border. There you will find a beautiful Gulfshore, soft sand, and warm breezes. It’s the perfect combination of beautiful weather, time together as a family, time off…

#ELBlog #201: Silly Or Cool Looking Cartoon Character? I love the holiday season. From Thanksgiving through December (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s). People are always so excited to get together, spend time with family, give gifts, etc. It’s also enjoyable to share the spirit…The spirit of joy, warmth, caring, etc. This is my first…

#ELBlog #200: 200 and 32% Number 200! I am so excited to have written 200 blogs. It’s been a fun journey with lots of great experiences that I am pleased and proud to share. I hope you have benefited and reflected along the way. Thank you for your continued readership.  Please share some of your…

#ELBlog #199: Interested or Interesting? I heard Dr. Rob Gilbert talk about this concept one day a day on the Success Hotline. If you’re not a caller of the hotline I strongly recommend you begin calling: (973-743-4690). He was discussing whether we should be focusing on being interesting or being interested? Every interaction we have…

World Education Summit 2022 Hi friends, I’m excited to share that I will be part of this amazing upcoming event, The World Education Summit! Great educators and leaders from around the world sharing, growing, and working toward being better educators and stronger leaders! I was happy to present my session: The School Leader: Surviving &…

#ELBlog #198: The Power Of Experiences Dr. Rob Gilbert is a sports psychologist from Montclair State University in New Jersey. He is also the creator of the Success Hotline (973-743-4690). If you’ve been reading these blogs or know my work, you know Dr. Rob Gilbert has had an amazing influence on my life. With the…

#ELBlog #197: Tell Me Your Story On a beautiful fall day, we decided to check out a dog park in Warwick, New York. It was a magnificently landscaped park with rolling hills and nice grass. Ruby arrived excited to enter the park, and 10 or so dogs greeted her as she began to frolic around…

#ELBlog #196: I Like This Guy/ I Don’t Like This Guy I was at my daughter’s soccer game at West Point Military Academy in New York. It was a beautiful fall day and I love spending time watching my kids play. This particular Sunday however, we had a referee that has worked our matches a…

Tales From The Hardwood Coming this spring: Tales From The Hardwood, Surviving & Thriving.   I am so excited to share this next work with you. This book contains 101 amazing stories, experiences, and lessons from my time on the court as a Divison 1 Men’s Basketball official. A big thank you to the 12…

#ELBlog #195: The Amazing Kindness of Jeff Hostetler   My son Matthew and I traveled to Morgantown, West Virginia back in early November to go to a football game. We pick a different location for a sporting event every year to create memories, have wonderful experiences, and enjoy our time together. It’s been fun over…

I’ve always loved carving pumpkins with my kids. I don’t know how many more times I can do it with them as they are growing older. They may be getting past that age soon, but I’ve always loved that tradition. I love the Halloween songs, the smell of the fall candles, and seeing the house…

My good friend and mentor Dr. Rob Gilbert  held a memory seminar on four consecutive Saturdays back in October. Those who attended were taught a strategy and skill to help memorize all 46 Presidents. During the third Saturday, we listened to the seminar in the car while we were driving. We lost reception often and…

I believe that the first look, the first impression in any situation is so important. What do things look like? What do they sound like? What do they smell like? When I refereed, the veterans taught me that when you first walked on the court the coach’s first impression of you, what you looked like,…

The Superintendent of School in Port Jervis, NY, Mike Rydell, recently forwarded a memo to me. How many times have we all done that? Forwarded a memo out with a note that said: “please read.” Yet Mr. Rydell, like many things he’s done in Port Jervis, took it to the next level. Instead of just…

This really has been an unbelievable time. There have been many closures, cancellations, and changes during this time period of Covid and it has been challenging in so many ways. One thing I have found is that consistently showing up is so important. People are in a funk. People are under extreme pressure and anxiety.…

I observed a great virtual lesson recently and I loved how the teacher ended the lesson. She asked the students to identify a small goal that they have for the third quarter of the school year. It was their exit ticket for the day, and they had a few minutes to complete it. She said she…

Despite all that was happening, I enjoyed this past fall immensely. On Sundays, I took my kids to their soccer games around Orange County New York. My children play for the Eastern Pike Travel Soccer Club, and I had a great time being outside and watching them compete.. Each Sunday we’re in a new spot,…

What an awesome letter!  Here is another share from my friend Stephen Broadwell.  Stephen is a retired Superintendent from the “North Country” up in Plattsburgh, NY area. He started a great action years ago by writing to leaders and asking them their tips for success or habits they have that have helped along the way. Just…

Amazing concept #ANTS from my friend Nancy Dunn. Nancy is a retired nurse from the Port Jervis City School District. She was just so awesome as a nurse, mom, colleague, and friend. She is a force and has the ‘touch of the master’s hand’, meaning things she gets her hands on turn out awesome! I…

Hi friends! I hope you will consider joining me for this three-part series kicking off in February. In the short yet powerful sessions, we will touch on the many different topics of leadership and share-out tips & strategies to help you navigate through this difficult time. We are facing great challenges like never before so let’s…

  2010 Norfolk Virginia, Old Dominion University I was officiating a game at Old Dominion University on a Wednesday night. I had a driver lined up and ready to take me home overnight after the game, in order to get back to school in plenty of time. In the last minute of a very hotly…

Happy New Year & Welcome 2021.  I wish you great blessings, happiness, and health to you in 2021! It’s a magnificent fall day in Milford, PA. I’m spending some time with my son and his friends who were having a make-up birthday party for my son who’s birthday was in the spring. My son who…

Happy New Year Friends. Warm blessings to you, your family, and school community in 2021. This is the last call for the Coaching & Mastermind Leadership group kicking off next week. I have just a couple of spots open and am considering a 4 pm weekday session too if there is interest. Shoot me an email if you are…

As featured in the Edu Match Blog:  A few weeks ago, I had my first experience of taking up old wooden boards on the deck of our house and replacing them with trex boards #Finally. Well, I’ve never done this before, but how hard could it be right? Pick the board up, cut the new…

Why Coaching? Success Leaves Clues. Looking to kick off your year with something new? Looking to get out of a funk because of Covid or other external factors that have affected your work and your performance? Not sure what you need but you know you need something? Consider joining my mastermind groups for school leaders.…

There’s a very powerful video that I use in my life both as Principal, and as well as in my workshops. This video is called Under The Surface, Empathy Film. It’s very quick, just under four minutes, and is very well done. Before Covid, during Covid, and after Covid, we need to be mindful of others, their…

I just got off another mastermind group meeting with Frank Somma. Frank is a business leader, writer, and motivational speaker. I’m really enjoying his message through this mastermind group. If you are interested check it out here and contact Frank. I have also created my own mastermind leadership group for school leaders. Learn more here. In the…

My good friend and sports psychologist Dr. Rob Gilbert, (creator of the Success Hotline) a professor at Montclair State University, always says you have everything inside of you that you need to be successful.  Then, what gets in the way? Distractions? Lack of confidence? The “I don’t feel like it” syndrome? The ability to keep going…

Hiring people for positions can be a hit or miss thing. You can never really tell who or what you’re getting until you see them in action. You can make phone calls, do background checks, check their social media, and get a good idea of who you have on your hands. But you really can’t…

Looking to kick off your year with something new? Looking to get out of a funk because of Covid or other external factors that have affected your work and your performance? Not sure what you need but you know you need something? Consider joining my mastermind groups for school leaders. I will be forming two…

Another lesson from the hardwood. I was doing a game at an unnamed college. Bucknell University was the visiting team. The coach of Bucknell is Nathan Davis. Nathan is a top young coach who is very bright and excellent at what he does.  I had officiated many of Bucknell’s games and knew Nathan quite well.…

Friends, I hope you are enjoying these blogs. I have been blessed to share my stories and lessons I have learned along the way. Please share with others if you are liking them. In today’s blog, I’d like to highlight some stories I shared as a guest on the crown refs podcast some months ago. I…

A favorite summer activity for my family is getting ice cream together. Whether we go to the local dairy bar in town or get a blizzard at Dairy Queen, we all enjoy the cool summer treat. I can remember as a child my Mom and Dad treating us to ice cream during the summers after…

It was a rainy Saturday night near the end of the summer, 2020. I’d had Harriet Tubman on my mind since our visit to Auburn, New York and Lake Owasco this summer. We had a chance to visit some of the statues outside in Auburn and read some of the plaques about Harriet Tubman since…

  Back in August for my birthday, my children and I decided to charter a fishing boat out on Lake Owasco. Lake Owasco is west of Syracuse, the most East of the Finger Lakes (NY). It is a beautiful, round lake, more so than the other Finger Lakes. We stayed right on the outlet at…

This blog is guest written by my friend, Dr. Rick Jetter.  Learn more about Rick below this powerful blog post. He is a father, husband, school leader, speaker, and author. I support Rick and his message. Thank you so much Rick My Relationship with Alcohol In my past, I remember seeking alleged refuge in alcohol…

  I recently paid a visit to my mom and she had asked me to please install a handrail in the shower for her. No problem right? I’ve installed hundreds of shelves, picture frames, rails etc. You name it? I’ve hung it on the wall. This was a little different because it was in the…

Isn’t it nice when you get a little bit extra? Whether at a restaurant, a store, a movie, or whatever it is, most times we are pleased when we get a little bit extra. We recently had a wonderful trip to the Finger Lakes region in New York State. Our last stop was the Village…

Below is a letter that my friend Stephen Broadwell shared with me that he received from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg years ago. Stephen writes to many influential people that he is curious about or admires and hopes to hear back. Justice Ginsburg was kind enough to do so. What wonderful advice from an…

Two weeks ago I wrote about my friend and final four college basketball official Roger Ayers and the story of my first playoff game with him. I shared about his leadership and style, and how he made me feel throughout that stressful moment, especially because it was my first time in such a setting. If…

  Here is another great story about who’s really in charge from the bookLeading Narratives, a great book of stories from Dan Spainhour.  Use code Marotta20 for a 20% discount. Organ Meeting All the organs of the body were having a meeting, trying to decide who was in charge. The brain said: “I should be…

This blog is dedicated to all the new school leaders and teachers starting new positions this year. There will be plenty of new things, new experiences, and new situations that you are faced with, so my best to you. It is my hope that you have some mentors, friends, and coaches as I’ve had along…

  Peace. We all want it. We all need it. There’s so much happening around us right now with political turmoil, the racial inequities that are being brought to the surface, and the anxieties and worries of people’s jobs. There’s also the educational uncertainties. What is school going to look like in the fall? What…

I have received a lot of great feedback and comments on last week’s blog about the yard sale and seeing things not for what they are, but what they could be. It made me think of one of my favorite poems that I first heard from Dr. Rob Gilbert and The Success Hotline. (973-743-4690) He…

We recently had our biennial yard sale. We try to do it every 2 to 3 years to help us clean out our house and get organized. We also enjoy meeting our neighbors and the interactions that come throughout the day. Many are return customers and even remember what they had bought at the previous…

It feels like it doesn’t it? This whole time of Covid with the school closures and now the focus on re-opening? It feels like we are running in mud, or like the song Against the Wind. This summer I took a camping trip up to the Finger Lakes region of New York State. West of…

No one wants to go to another meeting, and no one wants that meeting to go any longer than it has to. Many of our required school meetings are virtual these days. Most of the time there is an around the horn part of the meeting, or the question is asked does anyone else have…

I finally reached episode number seven of The Last Dance. The story of Michael Jordan and the lead up to the last championship season with the Chicago Bulls. I’ve enjoyed watching it with my family and having my kids learn about the greatness of Michael Jordan, his drive, his passion, and his will to succeed.…

Here is a great Father’s Day story, yet not about my Dad. This story is about my first experience in buying a car with Ken & Kevin Spainhour. I’ve known the Spainhour family for almost 25 years now and love them dearly. Ken & Diane have been like pseudo-parents, caring for me in so many…

How do some people keep going every single day? How do they continuously have this great energy, and how do they always seem to be at their best? I’d like to share with you a few things that I have found that have helped me in my journey has a school leader. First, have that…

Tom Mapother was an amazing wrestler in New Jersey. All-County, All-State, and had a really bright athletic career in front of him. Yet he always wanted to play football. His parents, however, would not let him because they were afraid he was going to get hurt. Heading into his senior year, he begged and pleaded…

One of the things that my family and I have I have enjoyed doing during this pandemic is watching movies together.  We’ve watched classics, new releases, series, etc. We recently watched “Yesterday”, which is a great story about the Beatles music, and the impact it has on people. We highly recommend it! Without giving away…

I visited the Goshen (NY) Central School District in the spring of 2019 to watch the Ted Talk these two awesome guys set up in their school district.  I have loved Ted Talks for a log time, and to see one up close and personal was amazing.  It was a great, professional production organized and…

Another great story from Dan Spainhour’s collection of stories in his book, Leading Narratives.  You can learn more about Dan and subscribe to his journal, The Coaching & Leadership Journal, at LeadershipPublishingTeam.com.  If you use the code Marotta20, you can save 20% on the annual subscription. I love this story for so many reasons.  It goes for…

My sister, Suzanne Carbonaro, is an energetic and enthusiastic educator who works as the Director of Academic Partnerships at AEFIS Inc. an assessment management platform. She recently did a virtual workshop on best practices while presenting online. It was a big hit and I found her points very useful and spot on.  I asked her…

Being out of school during this time really makes you miss the great people you work with. Sure, there are some headaches that you don’t miss, yet it always goes back to the people in the relationships. This story reminds me of just one of the many great people I am fortunate to work with,…

I received great feedback from last week’s blog regarding the University Basketball Camp and so many of the lessons learned there. That blog focused on my job as a “gofer” and the lessons I learned blowing up so many of those basketballs to give to the kids as they registered for the camp. Well, eventually…

When I was around 12 or 13 years old I got one of the most important jobs in my life: I was a “gofer” (as in go for this and go for that) at University Basketball Camp in Staten Island. This legendary basketball camp was run by Greg and Gela Mikalauskas. Held in Staten Island, New…

ell rings. You pop up and head into the hallway, and all of the following happens in the next three minutes: A student approaches you to tell you that they are being bullied. A teacher is sick and has to leave early. There’s a broken door handle on a first-floor classroom door. There’s a parent…

Hey friends.  I wrote this blog about a month ago, before all this #coronavirus hit.  God bless you and your families during this time.  The topic of this blog still rings true, even though we are not in schools, and may not be for quite some time.  I challenge you to let them see you…

Dear friends, these are tricky times and have presented numerous challenges not only for educators but for families, small business owners, etc. There has been a ton of literature put out about how to lead through these times. I’d like to get back to several of my older scheduled posts. During these times there are…

As we hit March Madness in college basketball playoff time, I write the second in a series of leadership lessons I learned through my time officiating. Thanksgiving Eve, November 2003. My first big game! My first televised game! The Famous Peters/Curtis game.  Well, I tried to be calm in the locker room, but I was…

Over the next couple of weeks, as we approach March Madness in the college basketball season, I’d like to share two stories from my officiating background that afforded life long lessons. The first is this week’s blog: Get It Right! It is the 2015-2016 college basketball season and on this particular Saturday, I’m officiating a…

I was absolutely appalled watching the press conference of the Houston Astros and their owner Jim Crane. On the first day of MLB’s spring training, I expected (and I believe many others did too) for the owner to stand up there, dressed professionally, and totally own the sign-stealing cheating scandal.  For him to maybe say…

An old drunken man was wandering down by the river where a pastor was baptizing people from the local church. The pastor said to him “Are you ready to find Jesus?” The old man said “yes” and went to the pastor, where he was dunked in the water. The pastor pulled him out and asked:…

In last weeks #ELBlog, I wrote that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Yet what happens when you make a mistake or a slip of the tongue? We’re all human and we all make mistakes. The older I get the greater my filter gets.  I was trained by…

We learned as kids that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. My parents over and over reinforced that message. I was shocked when I began my refereeing career and heard the same thing. If you weren’t sure what to say to coaches or didn’t have anything nice to…

It was the week before Christmas, and my mom was driving to an appointment out on Staten Island. Staten Island can be a very busy place anytime but considering that it was the week before Christmas, the busyness was multiplied. While she was stopped at a stoplight, she got rear-ended. Mom is 77 years old,…

I recently went to my son’s indoor soccer game which was in a dome and on turf. The field was a bit smaller than a regulation soccer field. My son’s team lost all four games, yet it wasn’t for a lack of effort. The boys played hard and gave it everything they had. In looking…

Santa is always watching. Isn’t that what we told our children growing up? Now, in this generation, there’s even an elf that flies back to Santa each night and gives a report. Well, we as school leaders and educators live in a very similar world. Someone is always watching. Whether it’s cameras, phone recordings, or…

I’ve always liked baseball, yet the older I get the less I watch. I’ve also enjoyed coaching my son’s baseball team over the years, but he has now switched to lacrosse, so my exposure to baseball has really been diminished in the last couple of years. My sister Suzanne (Suzy Pinstripe) is a huge Yankees…

I had two amazing opportunities this past weekend, Columbus Day weekend 2019. I was able to be part of two celebrations and recognition ceremonies. In reflection, a couple of days later, I am filled with joy and awe. The first was to be present as part of the receiving party welcoming a group of returning…

There are so many components that make up a great educator leader. One could write 100 blogs about all of the components, yet one thing I think about often is this simple concept: How can I help you? versus What do you want? We have hundreds of requests throughout our work week: communicating with students, parents,…

It was a late Friday afternoon in the fall, and I was running the cross country loop at a local school. One of those beautiful, yet warm afternoons where it still feels like summer. There was a field hockey team finishing up their practice by running laps around the track as I passed by on…

Another story from my excellent trip to Montreal in August 2019: I’m a bit old-fashioned in some ways, and one of those is to send postcards to loved ones from the places I visit. I was on a summer trip to Montreal with my college buddies, and I wanted to send my children and my…

We are so fortunate in our roles as school leaders to be able to have a significant impact on the lives of others each and every day. I had an amazing experience over the weekend of September 13th and 14th, 2019. It was the 50th anniversary of my in-laws Patricia and Eugene Grimes. They are…

Experience can be extremely valuable. I have been at my school, Port Jervis High School now for 15 years. Seven as Assistant Principal, and eight as Principal. I have met tremendous educators who have provided different perspectives, opinions, and certainly advice to me over the years.  One of my favorites was from my friend, former…

School is opening up any day for you now. You may have already started, or you may be able to squeeze out a couple last days of summer! I was fortunate enough to not only present at the National Principals Conference’s this summer in Boston but also attend a number of awesome sessions. There were…

I’m not a huge soccer fan yet I like the World Cup, and certainly the international matches. I was very happy for the United States Women in their World Cup win, yet I did not watch any of the games. I recently visited Montreal with some friends and it was the last night of our…

  A few weeks ago we received this postcard from Rome. It was authored and sent by my son‘s fourth-grade teacher from last year, Mr, Ed Sokolowski. What a thoughtful gesture, and it got me thinking. What a great thing to do for kids and families! It checks all the boxes: building relationships, saying thank…

    While attending the National Principals Conference in Boston, MA in July 2019,  I was planning on going to one of the morning sessions that was overbooked. There was a crowd of people that could not get into the room, so the organizers quickly moved the location. As the group was heading to the…

I grew up in Staten Island, New York, which is a very busy place. Besides the large population of Italian Americans, the outrageous tolls, the former garbage dump, and the close proximity to the great New York City, Staten Island it’s just a very busy place. People on the street don’t really say hello to…

Blog & Podcast #69 with StartEd Up Founder, Teacher, and Author Don Wettrick Enjoy the Podcast: The power of innovation. The power of creation. My children are 12, 10 and 7 and it has been a blessing and a beautiful journey to watch them grow. They are now in the heart of their middle school…

#ELB 68 BLOG So much of our work as school administrators can be focused on college readiness. Academic rigor, test scores, and GPAs can sometimes dominate our world and our focus. I am blessed to work in an amazing school district Port Jervis CSD in a wonderful community that sits in the western part of…

Education Leadership and Beyond:   Surviving & Thriving  with Andrew Marotta Blog & Podcast #ELB 64: Open your creative filter (RAS) w/ Teach Like a Pirate author Dave Burgess Dave Burgess Website Open your RAS!  What the heck is that you may be thinking?  Your RAS (reticular activating system) is the part of your brain…