Summer break… the phrase alone makes people think of relaxation, vacations, and time away from school. And while there is some of that, agriculture teachers and FFA advisors know the truth—summer is just a different kind of busy.
Over the years, I learned that if I didn't intentionally plan my summer, it could quickly become overwhelming. Between SAE visits, FFA events, and prepping for the upcoming school year, it was easy to feel like you’re always “on.” That’s why I developed a system that allowed me to stay productive and protect my time while I was in the classroom.
Here’s a look at how I structured my summer schedule.
Start with a Big Picture Calendar
Before summer even began, I mapped out all non-negotiable dates:
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FFA officer retreat
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Summer camp
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Orientation night
- County fair
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Any district or school commitments
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Pre-scheduled SAE visits (if applicable)
These dates became the anchors of my summer. Once they were in place, I built everything else around them.
Batch My SAE Visits
SAE visits were one of the most important parts of my summer—but they can also become time-consuming if not organized well.
Instead of spreading visits randomly across the entire summer, I:
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Grouped students by geographic location
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Scheduled visits on specific “SAE days”
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Limited visits to 4-5 days throughout summer rather randomly
- Conducted some visits virtually, especially if the SAE was not very developed or the student was not enrolling in my program the following year
This approach helped me stay efficient and reduced unnecessary travel time. It also ensured I was fully present during visits instead of feeling rushed.
For more help with SAE visits, read the SAE Visit Pre-Work and the Maximizing SAE Visits blog posts.
Limit Classroom Time (Twice a Month Rule)
One of the best decisions I made was setting a boundary:
I only went into my classroom twice a month unless I had a scheduled event.
When I went in, I made it count:
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Curriculum planning
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Organizing materials
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Prepping labs or shop spaces
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Ordering supplies
By batching these tasks into a couple of focused days, I avoided the trap of constantly “just stopping in,” which can quickly eat up your entire summer.
Protect Your Personal Time
Here’s the honest truth:
If you don’t schedule your time off, you won’t take it.
I intentionally blocked out:
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Vacation time
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Family days
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Completely work-free days
And I treated those just like any other commitment—non-negotiable.
Summer as an agriculture teacher wasn't about doing less—it was about doing things intentionally.
By:
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Anchoring your calendar with key events
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Batching SAE visits
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Limiting classroom trips
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Protecting personal time
—you can have a summer that is both productive and refreshing.
Because when the school year starts again, you don’t just want to be there…
you want to be energized.