It was July and I was coming to the end of the academic year in school. One night I was talking to my husband that ‘next year I need to…..’ and he instantly replied “Calm down it’s only July it’s a while until the end of the year!”. It made me realise in that moment that as a teacher my year resets every 1st September. New Year (1st January) is actually insignificant to me. So how do we get through a school year?
Each season/term requires a different vision and focus. Lets look a little deeper into a teachers year….
Autumn Term: Sept – Dec
Setting the tone
This term is all about setting the tone and building the foundations of the year. Sometimes I can be meeting students for the very first time or I might be picking them up a few years later and we spend this term establishing routines, building relationship and it is also full of optimism.
How can you make the most of this term?
Routine, routine, routine. From the very first moment you meet your students set out your clear expectations of routines. As humans we love to follow a predictable pattern and routines create that safe environment. It may take a few weeks to establish swift and effective routines, but don’t give up. Ask students regularly why you have that routine. And also don’t be afraid to rest and start again.
Relationship building is also fundamental to the rest of the year. For some students it may be the first time that meeting you. They may have ‘heard’ about you for their siblings or friends but now they’re tentatively working you out for themselves. Learn names from the very start, this creates belonging and identity. I especially try to learn the names of the quiet shy students as often they can go through a whole school day without any personal interaction.
Spring Term: Jan to Easter
The mid-year dip & deeping learning
By now you’re in comfortable routines. You know your classes and timetable. The curriculum is in full flow. So what could possible effect motivation? Burnout.
Look after yourself. Ensure that you take a regular lunch break and find a hobby that has nothing to do with teaching. You’ll feel more energised to keep those plates spinning if you carve out space for yourself.
The curriculum also progresses at a fast pace during this term. The foundations have been laid, and by now you know your students’ strengths and weaknesses. This is the time to dig a little deeper. Begin to challenge your students, tackle the deeper topics and praise them often. Students love praise, praise = motivation.
Summer Term: Easter to July
The business end
In a secondary school this term is the business end of the year. Assessments, especially GCSE and A levels dominate. It’s the peak of the mountain that students have been climbing for year. Naturally this brings extra tension and stress.
Keep your routines going and set realistic goals. It’s great to be aspirational, but students also need the right level of support that will help them to be the best versions of themselves. You cannot reteach the whole GCSE specification this term, so use the QLA (Question Anaylsis) data you have gathered throughout the year aand focus on addressing specific gaps.
Once the exam period is over, attention shifts to planning for the new academic year. It is a strange time in a secondary school, planning staffing, timetables, curriculum and new incoming strategies. Lets not forget the ‘transfer deadline window’. In UK schools teachers must hand in their notice by May half-term if they wish to move schools in September. It’s like a giant game of dominos, one move triggers another, and schools scramble to recruit before the window closes.
Here’s my advice: wait. Wait until the end of the year to worry about your timetable for September. It can even change again in the first few weeks of term. Also, this is a time bring your team together. Staffing changes can leave a department feeling fragmented. Take a few minutes each day to check in on each other.
So, how do we get through a school year? We take it season by season. We lay the groundwork in autumn, we dig deep and keep steady through spring, and we navigate the intensity and the uncertainty of summer.
Teaching isn’t just about surviving the year, it’s about recognising its natural rhythms and leaning into them. There will always be changes, pressures, and unexpected hurdles but there will also be moments of joy, growth, and connection. It’s why I have stayed in teaching all these years.
Whatever stage of the year you’re in right now, take a breath. Trust the routines you’ve built, the relationships you’ve nurtured, and the progress you’ve made. September will come around soon enough but for now, focus on where your feet are.
You’ve got this.
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