Beyond the Bell: Ways for Educators to Truly Recharge This Summer

As the daughter of a mother who taught elementary school for several decades, I grew up watching the deep care, creativity, and exhaustion that come with being an educator. I know how hard it is to step away, mentally, emotionally, and physically when your heart is in the classroom even during the summer break.

When the final bell rings and students run out into summer, many educators feel... exhausted. Relieved, yes, but also drained. And for those teaching summer school, the pressure to keep showing up strong can feel overwhelming.

Whether you have two months off or two weeks between commitments, rest is not a luxury…it’s a necessity. Here are some ideas to make space for genuine recovery, with strategies tailored for all educators, including those working through July.

For All Educators: Simple Ways to Reset and Restore

Designate a Mental Reset Week

Give yourself one guilt-free week where school doesn’t exist. No planning, no curriculum updates, no PD books. Just you…resting, exploring, or simply being.

Unplug Your Mornings

Try beginning your day without screens. Step outside with a warm drink, stretch, or journal. Let the quietness help you reconnect to your own rhythm.

Create a “No-Classroom” Playlist

Fill it with songs that don’t remind you of the classroom…nostalgic favorites, mellow instrumentals, or feel-good hits. Music can help shift your identity from teacher to who you are beyond your profession.

Visit a Place that’s Free of Expectations

Spend time where nothing is required of you: a museum, park, or beach. Let yourself move slowly and without an agenda. This can be deeply restorative for minds used to multitasking.

Send a Postcard to Your Future Self

Write a message to yourself on vacation or a local day trip. Save it for your desk in September, as a reminder that rest matters and you're worthy of kindness, too.

Devote Time to Activity you Enjoy (or something you’ve been wanting to try)

Do something creative just for you. Garden, paint, dance, bake…anything tactile and satisfying with no performance outcome.

Try a “Reverse Bucket List”

Instead of writing what you hope to do, write what you’ve already done this year and are proud of. Gratitude > guilt.

Read for Fun

Pick up a book you’d never teach…something that absorbs your full attention. No sticky notes or highlighters required.

Refresh Your Social Feed

Take a break from education influencers. Follow art, humor, nature, or travel accounts. Reclaim your digital space as personal, not professional (at least until closer to the end of the summer break).

Set an Intention, Not a Resolution

Choose a single word to guide your summer: breath, bloom, restore, play. Let that word quietly shape your decisions and your pace.

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For Summer School Teachers: Resting While Still Showing Up

If you’re teaching during the summer, the usual “just relax” advice can feel impossible. But even without long stretches off, you can still reclaim peace in small, meaningful ways.

Build in Micro-Rest Moments

Take 10 minutes of quiet after class. Step outside. Breathe deeply in your car before driving home. These mini-resets matter.

Redefine After-School Time

Choose a small ritual to mark the end of your teaching day, a favorite drink, a podcast, or a playlist. Let it signal “this time belongs to me.”

Create a Summer Decompression Zone

Designate one spot in your home, maybe a chair, corner, or even a candle, that’s just for you. Train your mind and your body to associate it with peace.

Try Voice Notes Instead of Journaling

Too tired to write or type another word? Record short voice memos to yourself at the end of the day. Vent, reflect, or remind yourself: “I made it through the day.”

Make Food Easy, But Meaningful

Treat yourself once a week…maybe a bakery visit or fresh summer fruit from the Farmer’s Market. Fuel your body with intentional care, not just leftovers.

Protect One Full Day Off Each Week

No errands. No planning. No catch-up. Just you…recovering.

Do One Thing That Has Nothing to Do with Teaching

Even a short art class or movie night can remind you, you’re more than your job.

Plan an August Reset Day Before Summer Classes Begin

If you're working July, protect a few low-key “you days” in August before back-to-school hits. Give yourself something to look forward to.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to escape to a cabin or finish a professional development book to have a meaningful summer. You just have to give yourself permission to be something more than an educator. Rest. Reclaim. Restore. The classroom will still be there in September, and so will your students.  Make sure you are too.

Take care,

Renée