Finish Strong

May always feels like the longest mile of the race. The finish line is finally in sight, but somehow the days feel fuller, the patience feels thinner, and the burnout feels very, very real. If you are running on fumes and counting down to summer like it is a rescue helicopter, you are not alone. But this last stretch does not have to be about just surviving. It can be about finishing with purpose, protecting your energy, and reminding yourself that you are still capable of strong, steady, meaningful work.

This month, our theme is Finish Strong. Not in a hustle-until-you-drop kind of way, because frankly, no one needs that nonsense in May. We mean finishing strong by being intentional, focused, and just a little bit fierce. You do not have to crawl your way to June. You can cross that finish line with confidence, knowing you gave what mattered most to your students and yourself. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to end the year with heart, with clarity, and with the kind of momentum that lets you walk into summer feeling proud instead of completely flattened.

🎧 Featured Media: Principal Lamb (@principal_lamb) If your algorithm hasn’t introduced you yet, allow me. Principal Lamb is the school leader we all wish we had in May. Instead of hiding in an office, he literally rolls through his campus with a cart, checking in on teachers, solving problems on the spot, and asking the question we all need more often: “What do you need?” His content is equal parts encouragement, reality check, and gentle reminder that teachers are not meant to do everything. He’s a huge advocate for protecting teacher time, reducing unnecessary workload, and actually supporting educators in ways that matter. Scroll here

🎧 The 8 to 4 Teacher Podcast​ ​ If May has you staring at your to-do list like it personally offended you, this one’s worth a spot in your rotation. The 8 to 4 Teacher Podcast focuses on helping educators tackle burnout with practical, no-nonsense strategies that actually work in real classrooms. It covers the big pain points, workload, boundaries, and that constant pressure to do more, while offering simple ways to take back a little control of your time and energy. Listen Here

✨ Hot Tips, Calm Brains

EdTech Nerds loves us some Google Workspace. Feel free to substitute Microsoft tools or another platform for the tips below. The point is to protect your time and energy with the resources available to you.

🔥 Triage Your To-Do List in Google Keep​
Not everything deserves your last ounce of energy. Open Google Keep and create three labels: Full Energy, Good Enough, Why Am I Even Doing This? Take 10 minutes and sort your current tasks. Focus your best energy where it actually matters, and give yourself permission to scale back or drop the rest. Your brain will thank you.

🔥 Let GMail Do the Talking (So You Don’t Have To)​
Save 2–3 email templates for after-hours messages or those “quick” requests that are never actually quick. A simple, professional response you can send in two clicks = instant boundaries without the mental load. Bonus points for not typing the same explanation for the 37th time.

🔥 Guard Your “Don’t Touch This” Time in Google Calendar​
Find one thing in your day that’s actually working and block it off in Google Calendar like it’s sacred. Color-code it, label it clearly, and protect it from meetings, coverage, and “just this once” interruptions. If it keeps you grounded, it stays. Non-negotiable.

🛠️ Featured Tool: ScreenPal Chrome Extension​
If you are in that end-of-year phase where typing one more detailed comment feels like too much, let me introduce your new best friend. The ScreenPal Chrome extension lets you quickly record your screen, your voice, or both, right from your browser, then instantly share it with a link. No switching tabs, no overthinking, no typing novels in the comment box. Did we mention it's FREE?!

Where this really shines in May is efficiency and engagement. Instead of writing the same feedback for the tenth time, you can record a quick 30-second video walking through a student’s work, highlighting exactly what they need to fix. It is faster for you and way clearer for them. Plus, students actually hear your tone, which helps everything land a little better.

And if your class energy is starting to dip, this tool helps bring it back to life. You can create quick tutorials, recap videos, or even let students record their own responses, reflections, or mini-presentations. It turns passive tasks into something a little more interactive, without adding more to your plate.

Upcoming EdTech Nerds Events

🚀 More Events:

Region 11 All Systems Go Summer Conference: June 24-25

Robstown Tech Connect Conference: July 16

CFISD Digital Learning Conference (virtual): July 21-22

ScreenPal Summer Summit (virtual): July 30

📢🤓 Announcements

🪄 Need a quick win (and maybe your Sunday back)?

Check out the EdTech Nerds Digital Shop, packed with ready-to-roll lessons and digital goodies that do the heavy lifting for you.

💡 Nerd Hack: Join NERDSquad+ membership and score shop discounts and early access to every shiny new product we cook up. You get to test-drive the goods for free before they hit the shelves because real nerds get the good stuff first. (Enter code FMF2026 at checkout for your first month free).

📣 Bring EdTech Nerds to Your School or District!

As the school year winds down, now is the perfect time to finish strong by planning ahead for fall. Are you mapping out your back-to-school PD days? We’d love to help you start the year with a fun, high-energy session that leaves your staff feeling energized, equipped, and inspired.

We offer customized workshops on topics like mindful tech use, creative classroom tools, digital wellness, and more. Book now so you can head into summer with one less thing to worry about—and avoid the August scramble. Let’s make professional learning feel less like a chore and more like a collaborative recharge for your team.

👨‍💻 Know anyone who might find this newsletter helpful?

Forward them this newsletter and have them click here to sign up. New subscribers also get free access to our Calm+Focus Starter Kit.

Your work matters. Thanks for letting us support you on this journey.

Until next time,
Destiny & Kris

Let's connect! 💬 You can find me on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.

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Connect with Kris - Bluesky & Instagram​

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