Summer Journal for Teachers

“Make It Count”

How to Actually Enjoy Your Summer (and Still Feel Like You Got Things Done)

Summer journal for teachers – enjoy your summer and get things done with intentional planning.”
This free summer journal helps teachers reflect, recharge, and make time for what matters.

Why a summer journal for teachers? Because “making it count” and enjoying your summer while still feeling productive is a glorious thing.

Let’s be real. By the time summer rolls around, most teachers are a mix of exhausted, over it, and so ready to sleep in, read books, swim with the kids, and eat cold watermelon for dinner. We start with a mental list of all the things we can’t wait to finally have time for… and then?

Wham.

Suddenly, it’s pre-planning week; we’re buying Expo markers, setting up bulletin boards, and wondering where the heck June went.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the truth I had to learn (the hard way): It’s not enough to just have a list. If you don’t give those dreams a home on your summer calendar, they disappear.

It’s not a rigid, every-minute-mapped-out kind of calendar. Just a gentle rhythm. A flexible framework. A few penciled-in pockets of time to help your days feel more like yours.

As Brendon Burchard says, when we treat everything like a task, even the enjoyable things can start to feel like work. That’s why I love his idea of “calendaring” instead of scheduling. It’s not about control—it’s about creating a life on purpose.

Step One: Make a Real Plan (Not Just a Wish List)

Write it all down. Everything you want to do. Everything you need to do. Big goals, tiny tasks, life stuff, teacher stuff, self-care stuff. It all matters.

Now look at the calendar:

  • What are your non-negotiables?
  • What weeks are already full of travel or camps?
  • What projects could be done in one morning or one weekend?

Assign light, flexible timelines. A little clarity goes a long way.

Teacher journaling with coffee at a blue table – planning an intentional summer.”
Planning doesn’t have to feel like pressure. Give your goals a place to live.

Step Two: Create a Simple Weekly Rhythm

You don’t need a hyper-scheduled planner. Just pick a few focus areas each week.

  • Maybe Monday mornings are for writing or organizing.
  • Maybe Thursdays are for rest, reflection, or catching up.
  • Maybe Week Four is your classroom reset week—or your wardrobe refresh week.

The key? Don’t wing it.

Time moves fast when you’re not looking. Give your time some soft shape—just enough to hold your intentions without pressure.

“Teacher reading in a hammock – building a peaceful summer routine.”
Let your mornings start with stillness, not stress.

Step Three: Build in What Actually Fills You Up

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing meaningfully.

Here’s what should also be on your summer calendar:

  • Days at the pool
  • Slow mornings with coffee and a journal
  • Time to rest
  • Time to reflect
  • Family dinners
  • Space to dream

You don’t just need rest. You need recharging. A summer that feeds your soul and reminds you that you matter too.

Kids and mom swimming underwater – scheduling joy and summer fun for teachers.
This summer, fun isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Step Four: Stick With the Basics (Yes, Even in Summer)

If your sleep schedule is chaos, you’re skipping breakfast, and you haven’t seen daylight since July 3rd… your body’s going to feel it.

Keep it simple:

  • Stay on a semi-normal sleep routine
  • Move your body—walks, swimming, kitchen dancing all count
  • Eat things that fuel you and make you feel good
  • Start building the habits now that you want to bring into the school year

Your body craves rhythm. It doesn’t need pressure—just consistency and kindness.

Healthy eating and smiling – building habits for teacher wellness during summer.”
When you feel good, everything flows better—including your summer.

Step Five: Calendar Joy and Progress

Want to clean out that closet? Rework your classroom theme? Try a capsule wardrobe? Prep some freezer meals?

Pick a day. Put it on the calendar.

Not to check boxes. But to create that beautiful, proud-of-yourself kind of feeling when you realize you took care of things you’ve been meaning to do—without giving up summer joy.

Woman outdoors with arms open – summer reset for teachers.”
This time, your summer gets to feel like yours.

Wait—Won’t a Calendar Stress Me Out?

Let’s pause here.

This isn’t about overloading yourself. It’s not about controlling every minute of your day.

This is about freedom with intention.

A summer calendar gives your ideas a home. It makes space for the things that matter—including rest.

You already know what your body needs:

If it’s sleep—sleep.

     If it’s food—eat well.

     If it’s movement—stretch, walk, dance, yoga.

     If it’s joy—create it on purpose.

Just don’t let the whole summer drift by without getting to the things you know would make you feel good.

Got books to read? A garden to plant? A friend you’ve been meaning to call?

Make a plan—not for pressure, but for peace.

Free Download: Your “Make It Count” Summer Journal for Teachers

Ready to start your intentional summer?

I’ve created a free printable summer journal for teachers that’s light, calming, and easy to use. Inside, you’ll find:

9 weeks of gentle planning space

Thoughtful reflection prompts

Mindfulness check-ins

Room to dream, plan, and pause

This isn’t homework. It’s a permission slip. Click below to grab your copy and make this summer count—on your terms.

Wrap-Up

This summer, don’t just let the days slip by. Make it count.

Not in a hustle-culture, productivity-obsessed way—just in a life-on-purpose kind of way.

A way that lets you rest and reset. A way that helps you feel proud of what you created. A way that reminds you: you’re allowed to choose what your life feels like.

You deserve a summer that holds joy, rest, and growth. And I’m cheering you on every step of the way. 💛