PEN Mondays - Taking back your summers

4 min read

Hey teacher—you made it. The school year has (mostly) wrapped. The whiteboard is wiped. The final bell has rung. And now… here comes that magical stretch of summer.

Before you crash face-first into a hammock (which, to be clear, is a fantastic plan), let us offer you something: not a to-do list, but a menu of possibilities. Not every break has to be about total rest or total productivity. It can be both. It should be both.

So here’s your invitation: Use this summer not just to recharge, but to reimagine.

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1. Learn for the Joy of It Again

You spent all year teaching others. Now it’s your turn to be the learner.

• Pick up a book that isn’t about pedagogy (unless you’re into that). Maybe it’s a novel that’s been on your nightstand since October. Maybe it’s Deep Work by Cal Newport or The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday—something to reignite your curiosity and help you show up sharper next year.

• Take a free course online. Brush up on a subject you love. Learn something you’ve never had time for: photography, Python, pottery, poetry.

The point isn’t mastery. The point is momentum.

2. Get Outside Your Classroom (Literally)

• Go camping. Or glamping. Or just stargaze from your backyard.

• Visit your local museum as a visitor, not a chaperone.

• Take a long walk with no podcast and no plan—just you and the sound of summer.

We spend so much time indoors grading, planning, worrying. This summer, touch grass. Hug a tree. Let your phone die. Nature will still be there to greet you.

3. Spend Time With the People Who Matter Most

You’ve given so much emotional energy to your students. Now’s the time to refill your tank.

• Take your own kids on an impromptu road trip.

• Have real conversations with your partner where you aren’t falling asleep mid-sentence.

• Call your best friend from college and talk for an hour with no agenda.

Relationships are fuel. Don’t forget to refill.

4. Rethink Your Relationship With Tech (or Upgrade It)

Summer is the perfect time to play with the tools that might make your teaching life smoother come September.

• Explore tools like Canva, Notion, or Google Classroom more deeply.

• Learn how to use AI (like ChatGPT!) to help generate lesson ideas or simplify admin tasks.

• Try building a basic classroom site, or experiment with student voice tools like Flip.

You don’t have to master tech—you just need to make it work for you.

5. Prep What Feeds You, Not What Drains You

Yes, lesson planning in July is allowed—but only if it gives you peace of mind, not panic attacks.

If you’re the type who feels better with a few lessons in the bank, do it! Outline that unit you never had time to polish. Make the first week of school smooth before August stress hits.

But if the very thought makes you queasy? Give yourself permission to let it wait.

6. Take Up a Hobby That Has Nothing to Do With School

Remember hobbies? Yeah, us neither. Let’s fix that.

• Learn to make sourdough bread.

• Start running (or stop running and start swimming).

• Try painting, even if you haven’t since third grade.

• Join a summer choir or D&D group.

Be a beginner again. It’ll make you a better teacher.

7. Rest Like It’s Your Job

Because for now, it kind of is.

• Sleep in.

• Say no to things you don’t want to do.

• Take naps, guilt-free.

This is your reset season. Your students deserve a fully present, fully charged you. But more importantly? You deserve it.

Here’s the truth: the best teachers don’t just rest during summer—they grow. And that growth can look like books, hobbies, hiking, lesson planning, or absolutely nothing.

So take what you need. Skip what you don’t. Try what excites you. Leave what drains you.

This summer, don’t just recover from the year—start building the next version of you.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

We would LOVE to hear from you!

Reply to this email, or send us a message on Instagram! We’re here to walk with you in these crazy times!

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