Port Jervis principal shares tips for school success

Keep a positive outlook and treat every child as if they were your own. These are just two tips for happy school days and successful learning, shared in a new book containing advice and personal stories from longtime Port Jervis High School Principal Andrew Marotta.

“The Principal, Surviving and Thriving: 125 Points of Wisdom, Practical Tips, and Relatable Stories for all School Principals” is Marotta’s first of several planned books. It will be for sale at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, andrewmarotta.com, or at book-signing events Marotta will begin hosting this month. Orders may also be sent to survivethriveorders@gmail.com.

The first of Marotta’s author appearances will be at the Milford Readers and Writers Festival this weekend, first at the Naked Bagel, 312 Broad St., from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and then from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday at the Milford Farmer’s Market, 508 W. Harford St. He will also be reading at the Patisserie Fauchere, 403 Broad St., at 11:20 a.m. that morning.

The longtime educator’s writing career began by chance. After meeting and speaking with Dr. Rob Gilbert, a sports psychologist and professor at Montclair State University, he was challenged by Gilbert to share his experience to help and inspire others.

Marotta sees the role of principal as putting people and programs in place to allow schools to run at the highest level. He does this by overseeing every aspect of running the school; hiring, curriculum, school culture, procedures, expectations, and always being available to help find answers and solutions. He feels a principal’s energy, enthusiasm, and ability to connect with people is what helps to build memorable experiences for kids.

“This is what it’s all about. Bringing a positive energy, enthusiasm, and just completely being ‘into it’ – the kids, the school, the events – is most important,” Marotta said. “I know that if I have a positive outlook, most will follow and adapt a similar philosophy. If you constantly display confidence and a goal of helping kids, you can’t go wrong.”

A forward in his book notes a changed culture and outlook at PJHS during Marotta’s 13 years at the helm; seven years as a PJHS assistant principal and six as principal.

Marotta’s personal approach to meeting issues head-on is meant to guide leaders in all walks of life, not just in education.

“The best advice I can offer about dealing with the public and positive and crisis situations are the following: be transparent, be timely, be empathetic, and be a good listener. An authentic and genuine response, whether positive or negative, is always best,” Marotta said.

“For the people who are going for their certification for principals, I believe the book will give them some insight into some real, on-the-job training – practical stuff that happens to all of us every day on the job,” he said.

Marotta, who officiates at college basketball games in addition to his own busy career and family life, said he travels a lot and uses any down time – nights in hotels, coffee shops before games – to write without interruption. He will write a second book to assist parents in helping their own kids in school as well as interacting with the school. His third book will be for students, with all books under the title, “Surviving and Thriving.” Right now he has no plans to write a book for teachers.

“But you never know,” he said. “I work with master teachers; true professionals who have taught me a lot more about teaching than I have taught them.”