Next week, our students and staff will finish for the year. Twelve month employees, like me, will push through the summer preparing for next school year. For most school leaders, we have always been told the lie that summer is the time for rest and relaxation. While there is a small kernel of truth in this, there’s also an awful lot to do during the summer months. That’s why we need to ditch the great summer lie.
This summer, consider that practical productivity will lead to preparedness for the school year. Don’t get caught up in the catch up. Don’t get stuck in the just rest narrative. Use your summer for intentionality. While summer seems long, it actually goes by in a blink. That is why you need to have a solid plan for your time.
Let’s look at some key components of what you should include in your summer plan:
Use a checklist to be strategic. A few years back, I developed a summer checklist that includes all of the standard items that I work on during g the summer months. It’s helpful to look at the full list of everything that has to happen in the summer months. Once students and staff are gone, I immediately begin to work through the list deliberately and intentionally. Last summer, I actually used some of the extra time to develop monthly checklists for those items that need to be done during each month. For example, September includes all of our school opening activities. Developing a checklist will help you to be more intentional about your time.
Think about the one thing that’s going to make a huge difference. Look at your pain points, those items that cause all kinds of problems and issues within your normal day. For our school, last summer I looked at our dismissal system and how we kept ending up with kids missing, or parents changing dismissal plans at the last second, or just general chaos. I knew that if we could adjust our entire dismissal system, we could eliminate a good number of pain points on teachers, parents, students, our safety patrol, and our front office staff. Being able to research during the summer, I was able to find an online solution that addressed a lot of our problems (Pickup Patrol for those interested). Find that one thing you can focus on to make a huge impact when school starts again in the fall. It’s time well spent.
Build an Autopilot mindset. Your goal as a school leader should be to guide rather than constantly steer. By spending the summer building new and improving your existing systems, you can ensure that you’ll spend more time on the meaningful while minimizing the times you directly need to fly the plane. Consider systems that allow you to delegate and elevate other leaders in your building. Work on automating certain tasks to minimize your effort during the school year. Remember that your future self will thank you for dedicating time in the summer to save a ton of time later on.
Don’t buy into the lie. The summer is NOT just about rest and relaxation. It’s about intentionality and practical productivity. Summer provides a unique window of opportunity to get things done that you wouldn’t normally be able to. Don’t waste that leverage.
Ditch the summer lie now while you can.
This summer, don’t just shut down. Engage your autopilot. Because the best flights are the ones you’ve already charted.
Rich
Look for the upcoming book soon! Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders
