Don’t Let September Steal August: Preparing for School Without Losing Your Summer
Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash.
For some people, January 1 marks the beginning of a new year. For me, it has been September 1 for as long as I can remember.
Photo by Laura Rivera on Unsplash.
I used to be a classroom educator; I spent one year teaching elementary school and the next 15 years teaching high school. Although I left the classroom four years ago, I still organize much of my life around the academic year. September feels like a reset. It’s a chance to set new goals, decide what I want to start, stop, and continue, and turn over a new leaf.
There was so much hope and possibility in the beginning of a new school year. I loved thinking about new students, new classes, and how I wanted to approach the year differently.
But there was another side to September: the anticipation.
By August, my thoughts would inevitably turn toward school. I'd start planning for the new semester and before long, those familiar first-day-of-school jitters would arrive.
The problem wasn't that I disliked preparing. I loved being an educator.
The problem was that September arrived in my mind long before it did on the calendar, robbing me of fully enjoying the last weeks of my summer holidays.
Looking forward without rushing ahead
Photo by Planet Volumes on Unsplash.
If you’re an educator anticipating what September will bring, here are a few things that may help you prepare without allowing September to steal August.
Give preparation a container.
Choose a specific time for school preparation rather than letting it creep into every spare moment. Give yourself 60–90 minutes, then stop. Knowing when you'll return to your planning can make it easier to set it aside for the rest of the day.
Prepare for the first week, not the whole year.
Focus on what will make the first few days manageable. You don't need to have every lesson, routine or activity figured out before the first bell rings. The rest can unfold as you get to know your students.
Reuse what already works.
Pull out last year's successful activities, templates, routines, and resources. Change what needs changing and keep what works. Resist the temptation of reinventing yourself every September.
Keep small tasks small.
Organize a few digital files. Review the calendar. Make a supply list. Small tasks can reduce the feeling that everything needs to happen at once. Don't let a 20-minute task turn into an entire afternoon of work!
Protect your summer.
Put the things you want to enjoy on your calendar, too. Go for a walk. Meet a friend. Read a book. Take a day trip. Have a slow morning. Do nothing. You don't have to earn the rest of your summer by finishing your preparation first.
Prepare enough, then come back to today
There is nothing wrong with looking forward to September. New beginnings can be exciting, and taking time to reflect on what you want is valuable. But there is a difference between looking forward to something and living there before it arrives.
So make your plans. Set your intentions. Prepare what you need to prepare. Then come back to today.
Prepare enough to make the first few days feel manageable but not enough to make the entire year feel finished.
