What’s on your summer list?
It's chock-full of planning tools. You're welcome.
When I was a new teacher, the principal pulled me aside and reprimanded me for not standing in the hallway during passing periods.
The problem is that no one had ever told me I was supposed to.
It wasn’t in the handbook. It wasn’t in the PD. It hadn’t come up in meetings. I was busy resetting my slides, prepping for the next class, and trying to breathe between waves of seventh graders. But that didn’t matter—I was now “noncompliant.”
What had actually happened? They missed it in the summer.
The leadership team hadn’t defined or communicated a clear expectation, but I was the one paying the price for it. That moment stuck with me—not just because it felt unfair, but because it revealed something bigger:
If leaders don’t use the summer to clarify, align, and plan, the school year becomes a series of cleanup jobs.
Why Summer Matters More Than You Think
Summer is when feedback and coaching either get easier—or exponentially harder.
If your systems are unclear, your coaching will feel nitpicky.
If your priorities are fuzzy, your feedback will feel inconsistent.
If your team isn’t aligned, you’ll spend the year spinning your wheels.
That’s why summer isn’t “off.” It’s on purpose. It’s when you:
Set the stage for high-trust feedback
Create conditions for adult and student success
Make it safe to coach because expectations are shared and transparent
Here’s What Could Be on Your Summer List
✅ Reflection & Data Analysis
Review academic data (state tests, benchmarks, classroom data)
Analyze behavioral trends (referrals, attendance, suspensions)
Conduct root cause analysis for persistent issues
Reflect on leadership/coaching wins and lessons learned
✅ Strategic Planning
Set 3–5 measurable schoolwide priorities
Draft a 90-day entry or reentry plan
Map key dates: PD, coaching cycles, data reviews, family events
Build a strategy calendar (year-at-a-glance)
✅ Staffing & Talent Development
Finalize all hires
Assign mentors for new teachers
Strategically place teachers based on strengths and student needs
Identify leadership growth opportunities for staff
Create onboarding plans for new staff
✅ Professional Development
Design differentiated PD tracks (new, developing, advanced)
Finalize PD calendar and presenters
Prepare slide decks, agendas, and materials
Embed follow-up structures for PD transfer (e.g., coaching, PLC goals)
✅ Systems & Structures
Finalize master schedule
Assign duties (arrival, lunch, dismissal, etc.)
Refine MTSS/intervention systems
Update behavior management plan
Align SEL or advisory plans to school values and priorities
Streamline instructional routines (lesson planning templates, look-fors)
✅ Culture & Community
Plan staff welcome week (tone-setting, team-building, norms)
Plan first week of school for students (onboarding, expectations, joy)
Review or update family engagement strategy
Schedule key family events and communication timelines
✅ Coaching Preparation
Review teacher data and identify focus areas for coaching
Update coaching tools (observation forms, ILT shared docs, feedback templates, action step lists)
Set coaching cycles/cadence and note-taking tools
Plan calibration sessions for coaches/APs
Build a coaching menu or PD offerings for teachers
✅ Vision & Communication
Update vision, mission, or values (if needed)
Prepare “back-to-school” messaging to staff
Create visuals (slide decks, 1-pagers) for key initiatives
Why It All Matters
Summer planning reduces resistance.
When people know the why, how, and what, they’re far more open to coaching.
When systems are clear, feedback doesn’t feel personal—it feels helpful.
When priorities are tight, you don’t get lost in noise.
The hallway story was just one example of what happens when leaders skip the groundwork.
So… what’s on your summer list?
Great advice. For staff, make sure you forward this to your leadership team, along with your own observations about what needs fixing.