I recently shared on LinkedIn about a trip to Disneyland to celebrate my birthday. Many folks reached out to me and said they admired me for taking time off, especially when I ran a company. I simply replied, "The busier you are, the more time you should take off.”
I truly believe this, and since I'm in EdTech, I came prepared to prove my point with data. :)
People are more creative two weeks after their vacation than before taking time off.
Vacations provide an opportunity for big or innovative ideas to emerge. Lin-Manuel Miranda conceived of Hamilton while on vacation. No pressure. 😉
It can save your life. No joke.
One study found that people who vacationed less than once every six years were 8x more likely to develop heart problems compared to those who took vacations twice a year.
It can also lower your chances of coronary heart disease, including lower blood sugar levels and improved HDL or "good" cholesterol levels.
It improves sleep quality and quantity, reduces stress hormones, and allows the immune system to recover.
It can make you happier AND more productive. The excitement and anticipation of planning a vacation can boost happiness and make you more productive up to 8 weeks before the departure date. It can also increase performance by up to 80% and improve reaction times by 40%.
Above all, time off can help you explore who you are BEYOND what you do for a living. There -- I said it. I know this is almost a travesty for all of us who work in EdTech or classrooms, but listen to me when I say, "We are more than just what we do for work." When you can tune out external noise and pay attention to your true self, you can reacquaint yourself with the essence of who you really are. What do you really want in life? Who are you apart from what you do for a living? These are big questions, but in my experience, when you get to explore these essential questions, you come back to work more grounded, centered, and confident.
As summer approaches, many of you educators, administrators, and EdTech folk may have the opportunity to take time off. My advice: Seize it and do not feel guilty at all. Listen to exactly what you need to recharge. Your body will tell you -- listen to it.
For those of you who admire those who take time off and haven't yet made it a habit, I want to share what a wise person said to me that made me pause: "What we admire in others is usually untapped potential in ourselves."
Send me your vacation pics or join me in normalizing taking off time and tag me in a LinkedIn post about your vacation.
PS: If you are in a leadership position and have a workplace culture that doesn't take much time off, consider forcing your team members. LCG is officially closed for the entire week of the 4th of July, for example. Just sayin'.
PPS: Just taking a walk (even if it's inside on a treadmill) significantly increases creativity. If you’re an educator, join us for a “Mile a Day” challenge in June in our Nourished Teachers Facebook Group.
Join LCG in Denver
Our legendary ISTE party is back and better than ever! Join LCG in Denver for an epic camp-themed outdoor bash. Mingle with the coolest folks in EdTech, enjoy great vibes, and make unforgettable memories. Space is limited – RSVP today.
The Role of Communication in Education and Beyond: A Conversation with Ilana Kurizki (podcast)
Crafting Your EdTech Go-to-Market Strategy: A Conversation with Lawrence Korchnak (podcast)
Popular 💕 How School Leaders Use Social Media (blog post)
Timely ⏰ Q2 2024 Spring Events, Conferences, and Birthdays in Education (blog post)
Marketing + Community:
Robert Rose argues that brands should focus on creating engaging, ephemeral content that captures attention in the moment and drives users to owned media channels for further interaction.
Ever wonder how LinkedIn predicts virality? Check out this chart. Also learn helpful tips like adding only 3-5 people tags per post and maintaining a minimum of 12 hours between posts.
Although it’s all about Reels on Instagram, brands are experimenting with things like photo dumps, text posts by creating a flip-through carousel series, and other innovative tactics.
[Spoiler Alert] LinkedIn Data shows LinkedIn median social media interactions have increased by 76%, while median interactions on Facebook are down 80% (womp womp).
Learn email-marketing packed with myth-busting facts like open rates are not dead (they still have value as directional metrics) and that landing in the Offers tab is actually good!
Marketing + Community:
COSN’s 2024 survey revealed that the overwhelming majority of EdTech leaders (97%) see benefits in how AI can positively impact education and over a third (35%) of districts report having a generative AI initiative.
Reach Capital just released these Edtech Playbooks that are a wealth of topic-organized founder resources on things like fundraising and market research.
Research shows when you increase student autonomy and help students find purpose and belonging, it can significantly help students complete their work.
Despite decades of progress, there are some worrying signs. School choice is playing a role in recent segregation, and although residential segregation is decreasing, school segregation is getting worse.
School enrollment plummeted after COVID and many predict enrollment declines are likely to continue. A recent report talks about the reasons why. One reason: Many parents sought other alternatives because they felt that their schools couldn’t deliver a sufficient pace of learning for their children.
ASU Fellow - University Innovation Alliance
Director of Digital Marketing - Amira Learning
Education Marketing Manager - UBTECH Education
B2B Marketing Associate Director - Kelly Education
Sales Development Representative - ParentSquare
Digital Marketing Manager - Swing Education
Senior Vice President, Development - News Literacy Project
Director of Campus Marketing - Core Education
Managing Director, Marketing & Communications - EdReports
Head of Sales - SAM Labs
Director, Higher Education Communications - Whiteboard Advisors
Regional Vice President, West - MIND Education
SF Literacy Coalition Director - San Francisco Education Fund
When we can't begin to imagine things you are experiencing, we share memes. 🙂 Enjoy these light-hearted memes about what the end of May is like for teachers.
These TikToks that made us smile:
The most complicated month to be a teacher is May (exploring some of the reasons this is a hard season)
Teachers in May (it's kind of like running hurdles...)
Teaching in May (for Schitt's Creek Fans)
POV: Teaching in May ("have you tried Google")