Rest Is Part of the Plan

June is here, which means the school year has either ended, is ending, or is doing that charming little thing where it refuses to die quietly. Either way, you made it. Teaching is hard. Not “I had a lot of meetings” hard. More like “I made 837 micro-decisions before lunch while someone asked if they needed a pencil for the pencil activity” hard. So before we sprint into summer with a color-coded list of ways to become our “best selves,” let’s start with something more radical: rest.

And not accidental rest. Not “I collapsed on the couch while still mentally rewriting tomorrow’s lesson plan” rest. Intentional rest. The kind where you create enough breathing room that your brain can actually stop holding every loose end like a tiny, exhausted project manager. This month, we’re talking about simple ways to make rest part of the plan: using tools like Schedule Send and email Snooze to safely push future tasks toward the end of summer, building in brain breaks, stepping outside, touching actual grass, and maybe, just maybe, putting the screens away long enough for your nervous system to remember it is not a browser with 47 tabs open.

📚 The Summer Recovery Guide for Teachers by Rachel Meixner Summer break should not become a recovery race disguised as “self-care.” The Summer Recovery Guide for Teachers is built for educators who need space to exhale after a demanding year, not another 90-day productivity challenge with prettier fonts. Through reflection, mindfulness, self-compassion, and small intentional practices, this guide helps teachers transition out of survival mode and into actual restoration. Because rest is not what happens after the plan. Rest is part of the plan. Read On

🎧 Sorry, I missed this podcast with Cate Osborn​ ​ In this episode of Sorry, I Missed This, host Cate Osborn talks with Dr. Shauna Pollard about what real rest actually looks like, especially when burnout has convinced your brain that scrolling your phone while feeling guilty totally counts. Their conversation gets into restorative rest, why it can feel uncomfortable to stop, and how small, doable moments of recovery can help you start refilling the tank before you’re running on fumes, vibes, and leftover teacher desk snacks. Listen Here

✨ Hot Tips, Calm Brains

🔥 Make Your Inbox Carry Its Own Emotional Baggage (3 quick wins)​
Before summer rest begins, use Gmail’s Manage subscriptions view to unsubscribe from the inbox clutter that keeps showing up like it pays rent. Then, snooze any non-urgent emails until mid-July or early August. If a “great idea” or random school thought interrupts your rest, schedule-send it to Future You for the same window. The ideas are safe, your brain can stop babysitting them, and your rest gets to be actual rest.

🔥 Protect the White Space​
Do not turn summer into a different kind of overbooked. Plans are wonderful, but recovery needs margin. Leave some quiet space between the trips, errands, projects, and “fun” things that somehow require a spreadsheet. That open space is where your nervous system finally exhales.

🔥 Micro-rest Counts​
Rest does not always need a full itinerary, a cabin in the woods, or a dramatic declaration that you are “going off the grid.” Tiny pauses count. Take a walk without earbuds. Eat a meal without a screen. Sit outside and enjoy the view without turning it into content. Let quiet be quiet for a minute. (Revolutionary, we know!)

🛠️ Featured Tool: Finch

Finch is basically a self-care Tamagotchi, but instead of keeping a tiny digital creature alive through sheer childhood panic, you nurture your little bird by taking care of yourself. The app helps you build small habits, check in with your mood, reflect, breathe, and celebrate tiny wins without turning wellness into another job. There is a premium feature set, but you absolutely do not need it to get the restful, mindful benefits of the app. The free version still gives you plenty of gentle, charming support, which is exactly the energy we want in June.

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

🪄 This Month’s Member Freebie: Goal Setting Workbook

Summer is a perfect time to reflect, reset, and think about what you actually want from the season ahead, without accidentally turning rest into a productivity cosplay. Our Goal Setting Workbook gives you a simple, thoughtful way to name what matters, set meaningful goals, and create a plan that feels supportive instead of suffocating.

You can grab it for $10 in the EdTech Nerds Store, or get it free with this month’s membership. Join at edtechnerds.com/membership.
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📣 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.

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Rest well, protect the white space, and let Future You handle anything wearing a lanyard.

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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