How I spent my Summer break

In a little over 3 weeks, the new school year starts.  I love this time of year because, at least for me, I feel a sense of excitement and purpose among all of my colleagues.  It's a time of a rejuvenation and creativity in action; all educators (teachers, principals, district administrators) have the time to learn new things and devise better ways for accomplishing our goals.

This is the time that we have to attend local, state, national, or international conferences.  This is the time that we have to contemplate our approach last year and make revisions for the upcoming year.

Since I (like principals and other administrators) have an extended contract, I have had very few days off during the summer.  And, like teachers, I've volunteered days in the work that we all do. 

This is how I've spent my Summer break:

1. Conducting some good ole fashioned tech trainings on new tools.
2. Coordinating (and attending to) the technical needs of local workshops hosted in our district.
3. Collaborating with several folks on local and state initiatives that are imperative for the upcoming year.
4. Clerical, paperwork types of things (placing orders, filing eRate forms)
5. Creating new staff accounts in most all of our systems and shortly new student accounts.
6. Coping with changes: adding new staff, removing exiting staff, making name changes, attending to room switching, and dealing with new labs in places not designed for them.
7. Connecting with people -- face-to-face and via the web.

Summer, for educators, is almost over.  How have you spent yours?