The finish line is near – but before you dive into holiday mode with your shorts and flip-flops, Clare Skinner shares some timely tips to help you wrap up the term calmly, confidently and fully prepared
As we enter the final half term of the school year and think about the start of the final “operations” term (i.e. the summer holidays or as some colleagues call it Term 7!) we are tired and in desperate need of a holiday – along with our teaching colleagues, support colleagues and children. So how can we make it safely and sanely to that finish line so we can enjoy our precious time off from work with our loved ones (or just on our own in the peace and quiet)?
Manage the “Dump and Run”
A trend that I have noticed in my 12 years in education is the amount of stuff that gets dumped on me on the last day of term. Everyone around me is so desperate to get out of the building, that their end of term tidy-up results in my desk looking like a paper recycling centre and my inbox filling up with emails! This has caused me huge amounts of stress and resentment in the past when I see the car park empty by 2pm on the last day of term and I (and my team) still have hours of work to do.
My school has a clearly defined communication policy, including response to email times so I ensure that these are applied by myself and my team. That way we can prioritise our own tidy-up in the last couple of days of term and leave site to go on holiday feeling in control and ready to come back to a manageable workload. If something has been handed to you in the last couple of days of term, it is very unlikely that that it can’t wait until September.
I have a “September” file of things that get left with me at the last minute and put them in a drawer until the new term; if I can get to them during the summer holidays then I will but they will not be a priority as I have already planned my work for when everyone else is away. If it really can’t wait, then conversations need to be had on how it can be managed before anyone leaves for the summer break.
A Marathon Not a Sprint
The school year is definitely not a sprint, but it is fast paced. It is easy to feel like you are operating at 100mph throughout the year. Manage your pace by understanding your deadlines and pressure points; make sure you have clear timescales, processes and systems for all activities that need to be completed.
This will really help you to pace not only yourself but those around you through clear communication and setting of expectations. It will enable you to clearly define and plan what you will be spending your time on during the hours you work over the summer and provide you with the reassurance that you will be able to get everything done that you need to. I communicate my summer objectives to my headteacher so that she is aware of what I will be focussed on and when I will be doing each activity. We find it really reduces the number of times we have to catch up over the holidays so is great for wellbeing for both of us!
Focus on Your Breathing
There is an extra level of tension at the end of the academic year which is easy to get wrapped up in. Keep yourself objective by breathing deeply and not responding to issues immediately; knee jerk reactions can cause more problems than were there in the first place so don’t exacerbate a situation with an off the cuff comment or a hastily written email.
Remember also to keep up those good practices of eating well, keeping hydrated, getting enough sleep and exercising (surprisingly enough I run three times a week!) so that your resilience levels are maintained in testing times and negativity doesn’t swallow you up – it can happen too easily.
By practising the above, I find that I am in a better place to get through the last few days and weeks of term and can approach both my summer work and holidays in a positive mindset so that I maximise the time I spend on both. Hopefully you can too; you have most definitely earned your break.
Oh, one more thing so you can really relax – set that out of office message!
Be the first to comment