🧠 How to Keep Your Teacher Brain from Taking Over Your Summer

Gentle strategies for letting go of the school year, honoring your need for rest, and making space for inspiration to return in its own time.

In my years of teaching, I always imagined that the last day of school would bring a great exhale—the deep breath of summer beginning. But instead, I often found myself even more mentally on than before. The class was finished, the classroom cleaned up, the goodbyes shared… and yet my mind kept racing. After all, there were reports to write and an exciting new curriculum to plan. I had things to think about!

It’s the classic “teacher brain,” and in my experience, it didn’t quiet down just because the calendar said summer had started.

This post is for the early summer moment when your task list might be slowing down, but your mind hasn’t quite caught up. How can you figure out how to step back—gently and without guilt—so your summer can give you the rest you need?

(And though this post is all about giving yourself some time away from your teaching life, you might want to download the yearly planner that I use. It’s the first thing I fill out when I start planning the year. Just scroll to the bottom and hit the download button, which will appear if you’re a paid subscriber.)

Create a Summer Catch-All (So Your Brain Doesn’t Have to Be One)

One of the most helpful things I did after finishing reports was to make a single place to capture all the thoughts, ideas, and questions that started bubbling up about the next school year.

For me, it was one of those lovely big sketchbooks, which I used to plan every new year. Even if I sometimes used digital tools like my notes app or voice memos, I jotted down all the thoughts in that sketchbook. The key was this: I didn’t need to act on anything. I just needed to not carry it all in my head.

I’ve heard people make the distinction that our brain is for having ideas not for storing them. Get those ideas out of your head and somewhere you can access them later.

Choose Your Planning Window (and Keep It Contained)

It’s tempting to let curriculum planning hover in the background all summer long—but I found that this low-grade mental hum made it harder to truly rest.

Eventually, I started designating a specific window of time when planning would begin (for me, it was somewhere around mid-July) to focus on the next grade’s curriculum, storytelling arcs, and block rhythm.

Giving myself permission not to plan before then was surprisingly freeing—and often led to a more grounded and inspired planning process when the moment arrived.

Make Space for Closure

Sometimes teacher brain keeps spinning because the heart hasn’t yet found closure.

Before I transitioned fully into summer, I found it helpful to mark the end of the year with a quiet ritual—just for me. Sometimes this was a small gesture that let me acknowledge the closure of the year. Other times (the best times!) I actually took a weekend retreat.

Loved that year when my getaway was to Crater Lake!

Getting away and marking the time helped me turn the page internally—even when I still had reports and planning to do.

Fill Your Cup—Without a Pedagogical Agenda

After a full year of giving, it’s okay if what you most need is something totally unrelated to teaching.

Read something just for fun. Sleep in. Let your days be quiet. Wander without a goal.

In my experience, some of the best ideas for teaching came when I stopped trying to think about teaching altogether. And more importantly, the energy I brought to the next school year depended on how well I’d let myself truly rest.

Guilt Has No Place in Your Summer

If you find yourself thinking, “I should be doing more,” try asking:
“What would happen if I didn’t?”

You’ve already done the devoted, challenging, loving work of teaching through a full school year. That work is enough.

Your rest doesn’t have to be earned.
It is part of the rhythm of teaching—and part of what sustains you for the journey ahead.

🧡 Meredith
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