Summer Surge
How Educational Leaders Can Transform Summer into a Season of Growth and Joy
by
Heather Lageman
While we focus on preventing “summer slide” in student learning, educational leaders have their own opportunity for transformation. Instead of viewing summer as recovery time, what if we approached it as a “Summer Surge” – a deliberate period of professional growth that energizes us for the year ahead?
Learning from Joy Inc.: Building Joyful Leadership Practices
This spring, a conversation with Rich Sheridan, author of “Joy Inc.,” planted the seed of the life-changing nature of joy and how that applies to growth and development in the field of education. Now that the summer months are in full swing, it is the perfect time to dive into the ripple effect of his concept and how creating workplace cultures centered on joy leads to sustainable results and growth (Sheridan, 2013). His principles from Menlo Innovations translate powerfully to educational leadership, offering a framework for summer professional development that goes beyond traditional approaches.
☀️3 Core Principles for Your Summer Surge☀️ |
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| Principle | Description | Summer Activity |
| Collaborative Pairing | Just as Menlo practices pair programming where two developers work together, educational leaders can create “leadership pairs” during summer. Partner with another administrator, teacher leader, or community partner for joint learning experiences. | Establish weekly meetings with a colleague to co-read educational research, solve shared challenges, or plan innovative initiatives together. |
| Flatten Hierarchies | Summer provides space to break down traditional structures that limit innovation during the school year. Create cross-functional teams that include teachers, staff, students, and community members. | Form a diverse “Innovation Squad” to tackle one significant challenge – whether redesigning communication systems, developing inclusive practices, or reimagining family engagement. |
| Embrace Rapid Experimentation | Joyful workplaces allow for quick experiments and learning without fear of failure. Summer’s relaxed timeline is perfect for this approach. | Launch three “30-day experiments” throughout summer. Test new meeting formats, communication tools, or collaboration strategies. Document results and iterate! |
☀️Your 6-Week Summer Surge Framework☀️ |
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| Weeks 1-2 | Joy Audit and Vision Setting | ● Conduct a Joy Audit of your leadership practices.
● Identify what energizes you and what drains your team’s joy. ● Create a clear vision for leading with joy while maintaining high standards. |
| Sample Joy Audit Activity:
Create four columns on a large sheet of paper or digital document: ● Energy Givers: Leadership activities that energize and excite you ● Energy Drainers: Tasks or interactions that consistently deplete you ● Team Joy Builders: Practices that visibly increase your team’s enthusiasm ● Joy Diminishers: Policies or procedures that reduce team morale Spend 30 minutes filling each column with specific examples from the past year. Then identify three Energy Givers you want to expand and three Joy Diminishers you can eliminate or redesign. |
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| Weeks 3-4 | Collaborative Learning | ● Engage in intensive learning with your leadership partner or “Innovation Squad.”
● Attend conferences or learning experiences together, interview innovative educators, or create shared content like blogs or presentations. |
| Weeks 5-6 | Systems Design and Community Building | ● Translate insights into concrete systems for the school year.
● Design meeting structures that prioritize psychological safety, create communication protocols that encourage feedback, and plan opening activities that establish a culture of collaboration. |
The Ripple Effect
When educational leaders approach summer intentionally, the effects spread throughout their communities. As Sheridan notes, joy in the workplace isn’t about constant happiness – it’s about creating meaningful work environments where people can do their best while feeling valued and energized (Sheridan, 2013).
Teachers notice when their leaders return energized rather than just rested. Students sense when adults in their environment are genuinely excited about learning. Families are drawn to educational settings led by people who radiate authentic enthusiasm for their work.
Sustaining Your Surge
The true measure of your Summer Surge isn’t how you feel in August – it’s maintaining that energy when challenges arise. Build sustainability through:
- Regular Joy Check-ins: Monthly assessments of your team’s energy and engagement
Sample Monthly Joy Check-in Activity: Schedule a 15-minute “Joy Pulse” meeting with your team each month. Ask three simple questions:
- “What’s been bringing you joy in your work lately?” (2-3 responses)
- “What’s been draining your energy?” (1-2 specific examples)
- “What’s one small change we could make this month to increase our collective joy?”
Record responses without judgment and commit to implementing at least one suggested change within two weeks. Follow up on the previous month’s commitment before starting the new discussion.
- Community Networks: Connections with other leaders committed to joyful leadership
- Transparent Practice: Share your experiments and learning with your community
- Meaningful Metrics: Track cultural health alongside academic outcomes
Start Your Surge
Your “Summer Surge” is an investment in everyone whose lives you impact through your leadership. This summer, don’t just prevent the slide – create a surge that transforms how you approach educational leadership. Your intentional summer growth makes it possible to approach the year with joy, creativity, and sustained energy.
Reference:
Sheridan, R. (2013). Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love. Portfolio.
Available at: https://menlo-innovations.myshopify.com/products/joy-inc