Year Round

The students’ last day of school was last Thursday. For many people, that means summer vacation. As a school leader, though, I’m a year-round employee, so I don’t get the entire summer off.

I’ll admit, it can be a little frustrating when someone assumes that I do.

But the more I think about it, most people are year-round employees. They take vacations when they can, fit in breaks where they can, and then get back to work. That’s true in education, and it’s true in most professions.

What makes my summer different isn’t that I’m off. It’s that I get to work differently.

During the summer, I have more flexibility. I can work from home or from the office. I can adjust my schedule. I’m not spending my days moving from IEP meeting to IEP meeting. Instead, I get to focus on projects, planning, and preparation.

In two weeks, summer school begins. One of the things I enjoy most about summer school is the opportunity to work directly with students and staff in a different way. This year I’ll be teaching an AI class and planning professional development opportunities for our team.

That kind of autonomy matters to me.

I may not have the entire summer off. I may not have the highest salary. But I do have something I value deeply: the ability to shape how I work. I have the freedom to create, plan, experiment, and decide how my day unfolds.

As you think about your own career, don’t just consider salary or vacation days. Consider how you like to work. Think about how much flexibility, creativity, and independence matter to you.

Sometimes the greatest benefit of a job isn’t the time away from work.

It’s having the freedom to choose how you do the work itself.

 What part of your work gives you the greatest sense of freedom, and how important is that to your overall happiness?