Saturday, May 12, 2018

#46 Education Leadership & Beyond: A Culture of Love with Dr. Luvelle Brown, Superintendent of Schools in Ithaca, NY




Education Leadership and Beyond:  

Surviving & Thriving  with Andrew Marotta
This weeks sponsor: !1106 Design Website for 1106 Design



Thanks to Michele DeFilippo and her company 1106 Design.  They did a great job helping me get my book off the ground and into print, online, and ready to go at all sellers.  She provided awesome customer service to me, especially as someone who was brand new to all of this: book writing, websites, etc.  They specialize in all things self-publishing: book formatting, editing, cover design, website creation, etc etc...& most important honesty, fairness, and integrity!  Give her a shout out and let her know you found her by listening/reading on Education Leadership & Beyond and she'll take care of you!  

Podcast #46: A Culture of Love with guest NYS Superintendent of the Year 2017 Dr. Luvelle Brown

What a great experience to meet and interview Dr. Luvelle Brown for the podcast. He is doing great work in Ithaca, NY School District raising achievement levels, bringing awareness to minority inequalities, especially in leadership roles, and sharing his culture of love. His message comes through strong caring for all students while having his priorities in order: Dad, Community Leader, and Superintendent.

While prepping for the show and researching the Culture of Love in Ithaca Schools, I was celebrating my 17th wedding anniversary with my wife, Jennifer Marotta.
It made me think about the culture of love that we are building not only in our marriage, but also with our whole family. If you are married, you know it is not all rosey all the time. I reflected on the things that we do to make our marriage work: Here are a few of those reflections:

1. From my friend Dr. Bird (show #45), bring patience, love, and gratitude to one another--If your continue to focus on these three virtues, you will move past the things that upset you about one another. Be grateful for the good things in your life! Gratitude is the mother of all virtues!

2. Listen, don't fix! Hear your partner, take a breath, and don't try to fix every little thing. Leave it be. (this took me a long time, right Jenn?!)

3. Do what you say are you are going to do. When you do this, it creates consistent positive deposits in your relationship.

4. Keep him/her on a pedestal. My wife told me this after our first year of marriage that I stopped doing this. I think I became complacent, and that I did not have to "pursue" her anymore. I let the "special-ness" go and I thank her for telling me this so many years ago.

5. Build your partner up, don't break down. You support me too much SAID NO SPOUSE EVER!

6. Be committed: so many things in our society today are disposable and easily changed, exchanged, etc etc. Imagine if it was impossible for your marriage to fail? Well it should be, so make it that way! Show commitment!

7 & 8. Take adventures together and always make special time for just for the two of you!

9. Don't air your dirty laundry to others.

10. Live the life together that you want your children to have. Be the ideals that you stand for: love, kindness, compassion, passion, spirit, etc etc. Show these in your actions towards one another and those around you!


Enjoy the Podcasts: Itunes podcast link

Quote: If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

John E. Lewis
Civil rights leader, Congressman from Georgia

Book Recommendation: Love Works: 7 Timeless Principles for effective leaders by Joel Manby






Next week's guest is Matthew & Tessa Marotta: Birthday Show

Enjoy the podcast.  Order your copy of The Principal: Surviving and Thriving today!  Click here

LOOKING TO BOOK ANDREW FOR YOUR NEXT ADMINISTRATIVE RETREAT?: Click here for more information.


Go out and change the world for the better!

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Andrew Marotta


Check out my book:
The Principal: Surviving and Thriving  125 Points of Wisdom, Practical Tips, and Relatable Stories for All Leaders.
Found on andrewmarotta.com, amazon, and all online retailers. Now available in kindle edition. Audible edition found here

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Blog #45: 5 Reflections of Really, Really Happy People with guest Dr. Stephen "Bird" Birchak




Education Leadership and Beyond:  

Surviving & Thriving  with Andrew Marotta
Podcast #45: 5 Reflections of Really, Really Happy People with guest Dr. Stephen "Bird" Birchak

This weeks sponsor:
The Coaching & Leadership Journal edited by Dan Spainhour: order your 12 month subscription today with a 20% discount for Ed Leadership & Beyond listeners: use code ELB20.  This is fantastic resource for all leaders with over 20 stories, articles, quotes,and reflections.  Leadership Publishing Team Website



Podcast link: ITUNES
Facebook live link

    Dr. Bird's website can be found here: DOCBIRD.COM

            5 Active Reflections of Really, Really Happy People

           Every time I see a new speaker, I am very excited and hope that the speaker will be a good one...Kinda like when a movie starts, you are hoping it will be a great one.  Well, I knew that Dr. Bird was going to be good as in the first few minutes he had people laughing by making some jokes and he had the whole auditorium move to the front, without having to raise his voice or do that awkward long pause waiting for people to stop talking.  He just did it very simply and gracefully.   


              Dr. Bird brought a moving message of love and compassion.  I quickly started taking notes and was thrilled to learn about being happy.  Here are his thoughts about creating happiness in your own life:

          #1:   I am free to choose my own attitude

Free from could have, should have, judgements.

“No one can take away your ability to choose your own attitude"
Viktor Frankl
After each speaking point Dr. Bird offered a "small change" that you could easily implement in your life to adapt this reflection of happiness into your life.

Small changes:  TAB: take a breath, is it a crisis or inconvenience? & quarantine your poisons.

#2:  I like my best self: What is your aptitude for self compassion? Give yourself a break. It is ok to fail, it is ok to make mistakes.
**Suicide rates have doubled in the past ten years!

Small changes: give yourself permission to be fragile, human.

#3: I see the good in others: Have a grateful perspective...invest in the beauty of life, in the good of others.
 
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, it is the parent of all others.  Marcus Tullius Cicero
Small changes: Start a gratitude journal.

#4: I am a calming influence on others.

Do you display escalating behaviors or de-escalating
I Small changes: "ITS":  It is true, is it kind, is it necessary?

#5 I love and I am loved
“Everything good that has happened to me in my life is because of love." Dr. Bird
Small changes: Follow the golden rule: love others as you wish to be loved!

Quote: "It's not a crisis, it's an inconvenience" Dr. Stephen Birchak

Book Recommendation: The Jerk Whisperer by Dr. Stephen Birchak

Next week's guest is NYS 2017 Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Luvelle Brown of Ithaca Schools

Enjoy the podcast.  Order your copy of The Principal: Surviving and Thriving today!  Click here

LOOKING TO BOOK ANDREW FOR YOUR NEXT ADMINISTRATIVE RETREAT?: Click here for more information.


Go out and change the world for the better!

Logo_full_color.png


Andrew Marotta


Check out my book:
The Principal: Surviving and Thriving  125 Points of Wisdom, Practical Tips, and Relatable Stories for All Leaders.
Found on andrewmarotta.com, amazon, and all online retailers. Now available in kindle edition. Audible edition found here