Planning with Purpose: Using Summer Downtime to Think Bigger

Before we go any further, we’ll state the obvious: for many school leaders, summer is anything but slow. Sure, there may not be any teachers and students bouncing around the halls, but it’s still a season of hiring, scheduling, facilities updates, curriculum planning, and trying to take a few deep breaths between it all. And then before you know it, these few months have come and gone. 

Despite all the work you’re looking to tackle this summer, summer holds a unique opportunity: the gift of perspective. When the hallways are quiet and your inbox is (slightly) calmer, there’s more space for the kind of thinking that often gets pushed aside during the school year: big-picture, strategic thinking. The kind that doesn’t fit neatly between lunch duty and dismissal. 

Here’s how to make the most of your summer to reflect, prioritize, and set the foundation for meaningful, strategic change without overwhelming yourself in the process. 

Make space for values-level reflection

Summer offers a rare chance to take your eyes off the day-to-day and return to your why. Not just the mission statements or school improvement plans, but the deeper beliefs that shape how you show up as a leader.

This is the time to reflect on your personal leadership: your core values, your assumptions about people and systems, and the mindset you bring into every interaction—with students, staff, families, and your community.

To get started, ask yourself a few foundational questions about the past school year:

• What values guided my decisions this year?
• What were the instances where I felt like I really led with integrity—and when did I feel misaligned?
• How do my values and beliefs show up in the way I listen, communicate, and build trust? 

Once you’ve spent a little time reflecting, write down 1–2 values you want to actively center in the coming school year. Maybe it’s transparency. Joy. High expectations. Collaboration. Then ask: What would it look like to lead with those values in mind—every interaction, every week, and in every room?

Use your answers to guide how you structure meetings, communicate with your team, or show up in moments of pressure during the school year ahead. Your values are your compass, and summer is a chance to recalibrate.

Bonus Reflection Questions: New Leaders’ Transformational Leadership Framework (TLF) outlines five categories for personal leadership, and this blog outlines a set of self-reflection questions for each of them. There’s also this list of 25 self-reflection questions, organized by different themes. 

Identify one bold initiative—and break it down

One challenge with having additional brainspace to think is that suddenly, you want to do everything—new programs, fresh partnerships, and revamped schedules. But you’ve been down this road before, and you know that trying to launch too many new initiatives in the same school year can send you and your staff to Burnout City by October. 

Instead, choose ONE bold initiative—something with the potential to move your school forward in a meaningful way. That might look like designing a staff mentorship program, revising your family engagement strategy, or rethinking how you use professional learning time. 

Once you choose what makes the most sense, break it down into three phases: Now, Next, and Later: 

• Now: What can I research, plan, or prototype this summer?
• Next: What support or resources will I need in the first few weeks of school?
• Later: How can I build in moments to evaluate and adjust this over time?

By narrowing your focus, you increase the odds of real, lasting impact, and model strategic restraint for your team.

Rebuild with—and for—your people

If you engaged your teachers and staff in end-of-year feedback, now is the time to use it. These insights will reveal where systems have frayed or where morale has dipped, and summer is a valuable time to make those behind-the-scenes adjustments that support staff well-being and team effectiveness.

Start by reviewing your staff culture through a leadership lens. Consider both the seemingly tactical things—like meeting rhythms, communication loops, or who’s consistently tapped for extra duties—and the deeper dynamics underneath:

• Where are the staff thriving?
• Where are they disengaging?
• Are your systems supporting clarity, consistency, and care for all?

Next is the most important piece: involve others in the rebuild. Invite a few teacher leaders, support staff, or instructional coaches into a low-key summer conversation. Ask them honestly what needs to evolve and what’s worth protecting. The key here is low-key: a walking meeting, a shared Google Doc, or a phone call over coffee. 

One meaningful change like reclaiming time in a staff meeting, updating your onboarding approach, or introducing a check-in ritual, can shift how people experience your leadership. When you rebuild for your people, and with their voice in mind, you’re not just setting the tone for fall. You’re strengthening the trust it all depends on.

Schedule “standing strategic thinking”

We often say we want to “find time” for strategic work—but if it’s not scheduled, it usually doesn’t happen. Summer is your chance to create that habit and stick to it. 

Choose a recurring day and time where you have the lowest risk of being needed—whether that’s Friday mornings or Tuesday afternoons—and label it “Strategic Thinking” on your calendar. Guard that time like you would any meeting, and give yourself the summer to build that muscle.

For your first block of strategic thinking time, pick one meaningful place to start. You might dig into end-of-year data to spot trends, reflect on how your leadership team is functioning, revisit your school’s vision or core values, or explore new research and district priorities that could inform your next steps. This rhythm helps you stay connected to the why of your work—and trains your brain to prioritize it.

Give yourself permission to rest and dream

Too often, rest is framed as a reward for finishing everything. But in leadership, the work is never truly “done.” That’s why rest must be intentional and prioritized.

Rest isn’t just about sleep or a vacation (though those do matter). It’s about letting your nervous system reset. Letting your creativity wake up. Letting your mind explore ideas without the pressure to act on them immediately.

This might mean taking walks without a podcast. Journaling for fun, not for school planning. Reading books outside the education field that spark your imagination. Or simply spending time with people who remind you who you are beyond your title.

When you rest, you return with new energy, fresh insights, and a deeper connection to the impact you want to make.

Summer is short—but it’s a powerful time

Summer is a chance to pause, listen to your own leadership voice, and shape the year ahead with greater clarity and intention. 

Whether you’re refining your values, sketching out a bold initiative, or simply learning how to rest without guilt—every moment spent thinking strategically is an investment in the leader you’re becoming.

Use this season to reset. Reimagine. And return ready to lead not just with plans, but with purpose.

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