5 Reminders for School Leaders Returning from Spring Break
Tis the season for Spring Break! How exciting, right? You have made all sorts of plans for this well-deserved and much needed time off –traveling, shopping, cleaning, or simply just lounging around with your favorite snacks, donning sweatpants and binge watching television. A total dream… until you reach that Monday Eve that has been slowly creeping up on you and your good time.
We have all experienced that feeling that overcomes us when we think about the return to school after a long break. Spending so much time away from your routines, structure, and professional responsibilities can make it almost impossible to envision successfully jumping back into the swing of things. We totally get it. That is why we’ve penned a list of five moves that can actually make your return from Spring Break a positive one.
MAKE THE RETURN FROM SPRING BREAK A SUCCESSFUL AND POSITIVE EXPERIENCE
You can indeed return from Spring Break feeling ready and optimistic by taking a few steps to ensure a strong finish to the school year.
Take Time To Rest & Reflect
With such a whirlwind of a school year, pouring into yourself is essential to finishing the year on a strong and positive note. Your break is a time to fill your bucket and recharge your batteries. So, do just that. Rest and relax. Spend time doing things that truly bring you peace and joy. This will help you find your center and reclaim clarity and focus. With having a clear and free mind, you can more effectively reflect on where you are, where you’ve been, and where you hope to go this school year. Take advantage of that time and space by reviewing your goals for the rest of the year and regrounding yourself in purpose and vision.
Prioritize Community & Voice
Upon your return, be intentional about restoring community and engagement amongst your people. Acknowledge the worthy disruption that Spring Break causes and build in ways to share your people’s individual experiences during break. Make the first day back as fun and exciting as possible. Also, take time to hear your people. There is no doubt that they too will return from break with their own expectations and goals; and you’ll want to hear and incorporate their voices into your plan for the final stretch of the year. Conduct surveys or facilitate discussions with your team about their ideas for a strong finish, and use this input to drive your vision to fruition for the rest of the year.
Highlight Your Successes
Celebrate. It has been a long year and we still have quite a bit left. Help your team remember that despite how challenging things have been, there are some big wins worth highlighting. Lift up all of the things you have learned and overcame together this year. Remind your folks of the growth they’ve made and the courage they have shown. Stamp the impact they have made on kids through their innovative and responsive mindset towards teaching and learning. It could be a nice gesture to record a quick video or pen an open letter to commemorate these things. It will go a long way in motivating your team and showing them that the fruits of their labor have not been in vain.
Communicate Your Vision
You’ve spent time over break imagining how you would like the remainder of this year to go. Don’t be tight-lipped about this. Share this vision with your team –clearly and compellingly. Remember, some things serve as great surprises, but your expectations and vision of excellence are certainly not one of those things. Ensure that you are keeping your team in the loop and bringing them along the journey. Let them know what the school’s priorities and goals are and how you all will achieve them together. It will be impossible to finish the year without alignment and investment for all involved. Remember, effective and consistent communication serves as the foundation for all strong teams; so, start the remainder of your year with this in mind.
Hit Reset and Ease Back In
It can be tempting to want to hit the ground running upon your return. There’s always a slew of things to do and accomplish by the end of the year; so, your sense of urgency is certainly understood and well placed. However, give time and grace for your team to get back into the swing of things. Allow them to focus on one or two high-leverage priorities during the first week back –such as resetting school culture, restoring community in the classroom, realigning with their grade level teams, etc. Although taking it slow may feel a bit daunting given all of the things that need to be done, your team will certainly need this time to regain their momentum. Providing this space and opportunity will allow them to go farther and faster, helping them to avoid burnout or withdrawal due to the sudden overload of work.
The Gist:
Returning from a long break is never rarely easy. However, school leaders can ensure a successful return with some intentionality, authentic joy, and a bit of patience. Show your team that you are excited to be back together and reassure them that great things are ahead. Your optimism and preparation will certainly serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy for a strong relaunch of a meaningful remainder of the year.
Need some support in launching a successful and positive return from your Spring Break? Contact us. Our team is happy to support!