Time for a break?

Its the last week of term for many schools and I wonder how many of you are beyond ready for the summer break to finally arrive. Misunderstood by many outside of education its certainly not 6 weeks off for any headteacher I've ever met! But nonetheless it is really important that you do take a chunk of that time away from the emails and tasks that term time did not allow you to get round to yet. Rebuilding our resilience and wellbeing is crucial ahead of all that the new academic year will bring you.

Mill Top in Kirkby Malham | Cottages.com

What will you be doing with your time to think about the coming year. Anticipating OfSTED? Welcoming new staff or starting a new role? Wondering how to overcome the problems that arose of the previous terms that seem stubbornly resistant to change? Whatever the situation the same thinking that enabled the problem to arise is unlikely to provide the solutions. So some helpful suggestions to make the best of your thinking time.

1. Take a break first. For your brain to work at its wonderful creative best its important to leave the stress behind you. Stress has a similar physiological effect as fear. It triggers the flight or fight response which diverts blood towards those parts of the body necessary to fight or flee. It also narrows our field of vision. So get out into nature, the gym or pool, a flight to somewhere new or well loved, anywhere that allows you to relax and reset. And before you go empty your head of everything on your to do list onto a piece of paper or electronic note. Two reasons for this - either they will constantly be 'lurking' in the background preventing you fully relaxing, or you will feel so relaxed you will no longer remember many of them when you get home! Anyone who has had returned to work and can't remember their login password knows what I mean.

2. Write down your goal. You already have your to do list (see 1 above) but this is not the same thing. What do you actually want to achieve? What are these things on the to do list actually going to achieve for you and your school? A well written goal will describe what you will see, hear or feel when it has been achieved, as well as specifically when you will have achieved it. A really well written and compelling goal will make it far more likely that you will succeed. You have no doubt come across SMART goals, and these are a great place to start, or if you would like some help get in touch for our free guide, or to book a personal session. Your to do list should naturally fit within the action plan that falls out from your goal.

3. Get a fresh perspective. Once you are clear about your goal, you'll have some actions that you know how to achieve, and others that you are not yet sure about. Take them all on a walk with you, sit on a beach, or by a river, a meadow or a cafe you haven't been to before. Wherever you take them, make it somewhere other than your own office. It may also be helpful to go into one of your classrooms and sit down where the children would sit, and do your thinking from there. By looking at problems very literally from different angles, you notice different solutions. Only once you are satisfied you have enough options to choose from make your decision about the path to take.

4. Plan your communication. Communication is key to success in any venture that involves other people. Who do you need to do what and when? What will they find easy and what might seem challenging. Who needs to work with whom? Does this only affect teachers or all staff? What do governors, parents and children need to know? What is the best way to communicate with each audience? Many very well made plans fall apart because of poor communication. I've heard managers in the past say 'well I sent an email', as if that was a meaningful answer to good communication. Good communication starts with understanding your audience and then acting accordingly.

Whatever your plans for this summer break, take time for yourself and your family. Working well is only possible when health and wellbeing are a priority too. If you don't yet have time away booked and you fancy a break in the Yorkshire Dales, check out the link above. But don't book it! If its available when you want it contact me directly and I'll take 10% off the price for head teachers and school staff who are LinkedIn contacts.