Best of the Blogs
School Administrator, May 2018


“One of the areas I often see parents potentially hurting the grit of their students is at youth sporting events. Whether it is blaming the referee or questioning the coach, the underlying message is that it was someone else’s fault that the team did not win. This behavior leads to a lack of self-reflection and in turn a focus on areas that could be improved upon. This is true whether it is a failure in sports, school, the workplace, a relationship, etc.”

From “Helping Kids Strengthen Their Grit Muscles (The Parent Edition)” by Patrick Larkin (assistant superintendent, Burlington, Mass.) on his blog My Learning Journey


“When my brain is set free, I dream, solve problems, and create plans. It’s not the initial thought that is most valuable, it’s the development of the simple into the complex. It’s the intentional and purposeful processing of ideas. This can’t happen with intermittent pings or vibrations from my iPhone. This doesn’t happen with alerts and notifications.”

From “When We Let Minds Wander, We Set Our Brains Free” by John Marschhausen (superintendent, Hilliard City Schools, Columbus, Ohio) on his blog Life in Focus


“[I]n my ten years as superintendent, there have been a handful of situations that I feel, if left undiscovered or unaddressed, could have led to a perilous situation for our students and staff. The key was — someone came forward.”

From “It Can’t Happen in Saline” by Scot Graden (superintendent, Salina Area Schools, Saline, Mich.) on his eponymous blog


“I first became an administrator when I was 29. … Because I was so young, I felt it was very important to remain professional at all times with my staff. … I followed advice I received from a professor once, who told us that if there is a staff social event, the administrator should be one of the last to arrive and the first to leave. And above all else, I never shared anything personal about myself with staff, especially not in staff meetings or communications.”

From “People Follow People, Not Positions” by Amy Illingworth (director of professional growth, Sweetwater Union High School District, San Diego, Calif.) on her blog Reflections on Leadership and Learning



Read the full postings of these and other members’ blogs at www.aasa.org/SAblogs.aspx.