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The end of the school year can feel like a whirlwind—agitated students, hot classrooms, and a growing list of to-dos. But before rushing into summer, we need to pause, reflect, and make space for restoration and inspiration.

In this episode, we help you reframe the homestretch—not as something to survive, but as a chance to celebrate growth, restore your energy, and set intentions for the summer and beyond. Whether you’re crawling to the finish line or closing out with joy, this is your reminder to celebrate what went well, breathe, and give yourself permission to reset.

You’ll walk away with practical ideas to maintain perspective now, create space to recharge this summer, and return in the fall ready to lead your math lessons with purpose.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Simple strategies to stay positive and focused in the final weeks of school

• How to shift your mindset from burnout to balance as summer begins

• A plan for using the summer to restore energy and spark inspiration

• Why celebration and reflection are essential parts of a healthy leadership cycle

• How to prepare mentally and emotionally for a strong start in the fall

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Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com 

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Yvette Lehman: If our listeners are joining us when this episode is released, it is the end of the school year here in Ontario. Yep. I think this episode comes out the very last week of school. So people are probably either in two different head spaces, either they’re pumped and so excited because this break is, you know, just around the corner, or they are totally burnt out and exhausted.

Kyle Pearce: I was gonna say heartbroken that the year couldn’t continue.

Jon Orr: or maybe both, right? It’s like, I am pumped that we are coming to the end, I’m at the same time, I’m burnt out, but that makes me pumped for the future.

Kyle Pearce: Well, know, something I always felt as a classroom teacher, but also working in the district office, was like, you got to this finish line. And it’s almost like the excitement for the finish line is where you used up all your excitement and energy. And then you actually get to that finish line. And then next thing you know, you’re in summer. And you’re like, this is it? This is what it is? And the time just flies by, you know? So today, I think what we’re going to be talking about is like, how can we best

prepare ourselves to not only get caught up, catch our breath, get that energy back, get that motivation back, but also set us up for some quick wins along the way so that I think in doing so, you’ll actually find yourself more refreshed faster than, say, doing a whole lot of nothing for maybe too long.

Jon Orr: For sure, for sure. So like what small commitments can we make, you know, over the summer that like you’re saying, Kyle sets us up for success, but also makes us feel good about going into the year. Cause I, I like to think of it that way is like, what do I prepare? I know that I’m burnt out now, but what could I prepare now so that I feel, so that after my rejuvenation period, after my, my relaxing time, after the, the, the, the time that like brings me back that when I come to start the school year, I’m like,

I’m already one step ahead and I’m already kind of streamlining the practices, the pieces, the components, all kind of where I want to go anyway. Like I always felt like doing that at the end of the year is like, yeah, we’re burnout, but it’s like, what can I do to like, so that when I come in, I’m like, and all summer, I’m like, are good. I’m good because I did some pre-practice work coming into the year to like hit the ground running.

Yvette Lehman: One thing that I always like to do at this time of year, assuming I was staying in the same classroom, it’s like, I didn’t rush out the door the last day. I actually stayed a few days after because I wanted to know that I was coming back to a nice space. Like I didn’t want to leave chaos. You know, I wanted to know that way, because it would be harder to come back in August if I just walked out on the last day and left everything. know, kind of disorganized. So I tried to always commit to taking the time to leave my space in a way that would be welcoming when I returned.

Kyle Pearce: Nice. I like this idea. I did something similar, but I tried to make it so that it was ready to go pretty much by the end of that last day because I did not want to be coming back. So there’s some people out there. Some are like Yvette and they’re like, yes, I’m going to come back for a couple of days. And then some people are like me and they’re like, no, no, I am not coming back after that last day. but I think the end result though of, sort of getting yourself

back, like getting the classroom back in a position where things are in good standing. And of course, over the summer, you’re probably going to think of some things that you want to change along the way. being able to come back to a clean, organized space in order to implement those changes is a lot more effective than, walking into chaos and then maybe wasting all that time just sort of organizing things and then maybe not getting to put those changes into effect like you had envisioned.

Jon Orr: Yeah, I see both sides because like I know that there are folks out there that are going like, I’m going to walk out the door and I don’t want to think about any of this stuff.

Kyle Pearce: Asad, we’re just gonna have you cut this spot out and wait for John to come back because he will come back at some point. We’re not sure when, we’re not sure how, but he will come back.

Jon Orr: I’m here. I don’t know what happened. You ready? I’m start again. I feel like I’m, I think it’s recording still. Okay.

Now, I think that there’s like two ends to this. Like there’s two sides to this because I know there’s folks right now going like, I’m not going to think about this until the end of the summer. The end of the summer. And I know I’m going to go back in a few days early anyway to prep and get stuff ready. And like, I have that block of time. But then there’s the other side. It’s like.

I see your benefit here of like, let me just get ready now because then I don’t have to think about it over the course of the summer. And my mind is mentally freed up. Like that storage space is like, is like that suitcase weighing you down is gone. And cause I said this here on the podcast many times in the summer when we have these summer type episodes. I think we said it maybe last week when we were talking about like the August, you know, for us here in Ontario, when like August hits like halfway through the summer.

But then it’s like, now I’m gonna start thinking about going back to school, even though I still got a month of vacation time left. Like it’s like the longest Sunday night ever, because you’re just constantly thinking about what like, what that first week is gonna look like with that first day is. But if you do all those things up prime, like, and you can know that I’m ready to walk in the door and just like, just give her, and I’ve done all the prep work. Like I’m a big fan of like compartmentalizing. Like I would write notes to myself that like, and put it in my phone and have it like,

all of a sudden cue up on the first day of August to say, remember, you’re good. Like, here’s the things that you already planned for. And then have it pop up again and like, you know, the week before, just remember, you’re good. Here’s the things you already prepped, because I will forget. And that’s the part I’ve learned along the way is like, if I write myself a note, then future John will get that information and in between John doesn’t have to remember that stuff. And it can be

And when I do that, I actually, it’s like almost like my brain forgets about all those things. And it’s gone because I know that I wrote the note. I don’t know what’s on the note. Like I have no memory of what’s on the note, but I know that the note, if I look at it, will remind me. And that all of a sudden just like completely changes my mental bandwidth for the summer or for any time. Like this, I actually do this during the week as well. Like in a work week is like future John will do this part.

and I’ll write my notes about what I want to do then, but I want to do it now, but I know about it now. So I’ll write myself that note. And then all of a sudden, now that note comes and I’m like, yep, I’m good. Or here are the things I still need to do, but then I don’t have that longest Sunday night ever effect anymore.

Kyle Pearce: Hmm. I like it. I think what, what I’m, what, what I’m hearing from you is it’s almost like that give you permission to not have to worry or stress about those things that, know, you had taken care of them, you’d button them up because what would happen otherwise is likely, you know, John, you’re, you’re in, you know, pull the, pull, pull the trailer to the next provincial park in the summer. And you probably wake up one night and you go, shoot.

what about this or what about that? And you start to think and you start to ruminate on these things. So I think that’s a great idea. So we’re talking about some of the things that you can do before you leave. Let’s start sort of segueing into like, what are some of the things that we can potentially do? And I want to be very cautious as we start to enter into this realm is that that summer is your summer. You have earned that summer. Okay. So anything we say here,

is not a thou shalt or you should be or you shouldn’t be this. That is your summer. But I do know that we all tend to have these things that we throughout a school year kind of push off because we’re busy, because there’s too much going on, because there’s lots of stress. But then we get to summer and sometimes we never get around to it. It almost makes it even more stressful because you had planned to do it in your mind, but maybe not set.

clear enough outline for yourself as to how you’re going to accomplish these things without it being a major interference to your earned vacation. Yvette, what have you done in the past so that you can stay productive but not actually stress? Like this shouldn’t feel like work, it should feel like progress, it should feel like rewarding. What are your go-to moves that you’ve used?

Yvette Lehman: think that what you said is so important. I like to protect my quiet mind. So because I don’t have a quiet mind most of the time, you know, I’m always thinking about something else or, or grappling with an idea while I’m having a conversation, while I’m reading, while I’m doing whatever it is, I do not have a quiet mind. So I try to protect my quiet mind in the summer. But like you said, it’s like, but I still want to be inspired come September.

Like I think I need, sometimes I get into a rut by the end of the year where I get sometimes negative. It’s like, I feel all of the maybe constraints start piling up and I need the summertime to step back from that and to broaden my perspective. So what I like to do in the summer, and again, this is just me, know, not to say anybody else this would work for, I like to get outside my network in the summer. So what I mean by that is you tend to,

be influenced by the same people throughout the year, right? Those are the people that are within your network. And so I always like to take an opportunity in the summer to get outside of my network and hear a different perspective. So I’ve been fortunate, you know, to be able to do some summer symposiums or summer conferences. And what I love about those is that they’re my choice. Like I’m choosing to be there because I need to get outside of my network and hear

different perspectives, different experiences. And I also feel like when I do those in the summer, I’m not planning for a supply teacher. not thinking that, you know, I get to show up, I get to enjoy that learning outside of my network, and then I get to go home and, you know, enjoy the sunshine in the evening and the days are longer. Like I don’t feel like I’m losing out on so much time. So that’s just me. I actually didn’t even tell you guys this, but I considered a week long summer

math camp this summer in Sarnia. So Dr. Ball. Yeah, it’s like a week long, it’s called an elementary teacher math lab. And it’s like a week long intensive program where you’re, you know, watching classroom examples and you’re dissecting them and then you’re going to seminars after or workshops to strengthen your instruction. And to me, and again, not for everybody, but for me, that is inspiring.

And I don’t feel like in the school year, I have the cognitive capacity for that learning because I’m juggling way too much.

Kyle Pearce: Nice. Now this is Dr. Deborah Ball from University of Michigan, right? And over in Sarnia, Ontario. That’s very cool. So great shout out for that opportunity. think too, there is, there’s definitely a different dynamic when you leave your, like you had mentioned your, like your network outside your network, but it’s almost like actually leaving your physical space of like, your home and going somewhere to do this thing and kind of get immersed in it can be really, really

inspiring, meeting new people. can also be a little bit scary for some, right? If you’re doing it on your own, but it gives you this opportunity to kind of go and feel like something different is going on. You’re outside of your regular routine and you’re able to, of course, gobble up all kinds of learning there. Now I want to shift it towards, you know, around, let’s say you were, you wanted to pick up a book and like,

I guess I guess I’m just being selfish and I’m thinking about myself. I am not the best reader, you know, as I’ve mentioned before, and I say this, I know how to read, you know, I’m very good at sounding out the words, I know all of those things, but I actually am not great at sitting down and opening up a book, because I also don’t have a quiet mind like Yvette. So for me, it’s very, very hard for me to sort of sit down and do those things. And when I do want to dig into a book,

rather than me trying to pile it up like I used to do in university where you knew you had midterms coming up and you go, I’m gonna, you know, I’m gonna study and then you put it off, you put it off, you put it off by taking that book and by simply just, you know, you can do it any way you’d like, whether it’s a chapter a day, whether it’s, you know, certain number of pages, you could literally just commit a certain amount of time to it each day. So whether it’s 10 minutes or 20 minutes, like for me, anything longer than 20 minutes, like I’m risking falling asleep.

and you know it’s not going to go very well but if i can look at it and i go you know i’ve got this many days over summer and if i could just stick to 15 minutes of reading every day you know and then the beauty is is that if you do that some days you might actually read a little longer which is kind of nice it’s a little you know a little bonus right but setting your setting the bar low for yourself so that

you can commit really, really small, small amounts of effort. doesn’t take much to satisfy this goal you’ve set for yourself. And then the second thing I would say, just to make yourself have the most success possible is by sort of creating yourself a little bit of an easy, this is from atomic habits, as we’ve quoted this book on the podcast many times before, but you know, take that book or whatever it is that you’re trying to do.

and put it in a spot that’s going to make you almost bump right into it. Right. So if you’re going to plan to do this in the morning, maybe leaving the you know, the book right at the sink next to your toothbrush could be a good move, right? I brush my teeth in the morning, I grabbed the book, and then I do it. You want to make sure that you’re setting yourself up. So whatever plan you have, if you have this goal, that you’re making it as easy as possible so that you have the greatest chance of having success. That’s for our

you know, we’ll call it those who struggle with reading like myself. that’s sort of my move when I want to dig into something, I definitely can’t expect myself to do two hours of reading a day. It’s just unrealistic. So set realistic expectations for yourself and then make that goal really easy to achieve by, you know, sort of creating these behavioral sort of helpers along the way so that you can check it off your list and get that positive boost, because you know you feel good after you’ve accomplished that task along the way.

Jon Orr: Yeah, good tips, good tips for sure. you know, to keep talking about, you know, books and specific readings is like, know that some folks who know they’re going to read a lot in the summer, they’ll make the list. You know, they’re going to say like, here’s my stack of books. And it might be a combination of, you know, novels. It might be also say nonfiction books. And it’s like, what do we, what do we read? And for, for me, you know, specifically like the summertime has always been that place where I try to read something that’s not

it doesn’t sound like it’s usually a nonfiction book, but it’s not in the world of education. So it’s about psychology, or it’s about behavioral economics, or it’s behavior, you know, it’s about leadership, like, these are like, for historically, this is that time where I dig into that type of thing. But then usually, when I dig into that type of thing, it because I, my my whole identity is wrapped up in being a math teacher, you can’t help think about how

the lessons you’re learning in those books pertained to education in your classroom. So like, for example, like years and years and years ago, both Kyle and I read The Power of Moments and it was about how to like create memorable moments for experiences and why certain moments, you know, stand out versus others. Like the mundane doesn’t, you you don’t remember what you did on a Tuesday afternoon three weeks ago because it was the same, but it was like, how do I structure? What are the elements that structure memorable moments? And that’s,

And the funny thing is we had started the podcast, I think, before that we read this book. I think that’s why we picked the book up. like, this actually has to do with what we’re trying to do in math. And so those elements actually, we started to put those elements into our lessons because there are certain key properties that was like, this makes this memorable moment versus others. And we talked about them here in the podcast. We’ve talked about…

know, other books that I’ve read in the summer, like The Coaching Habit was a summer read for me, which isn’t a teaching book, it isn’t a math book, but it was, say, a book about just coaching in general. And it was like, it’s on our list of books. If you went over to makemathmoments.com, forward slash books, that’s one of those books that we recommend, especially if you’re a coach or a leader. You know, we talked about the book Switch, which is about how to change when change is hard. That was a summer read, not a math book, not a teaching book, but.

We took elements of that and put it into the systems that we’re working with, supporting coaches, supporting leaders, supporting school systems. So that’s been my go-to move is to like, what else out there? Now that I’m not thinking about school, what are these pieces in our world that we could then learn from and then bring them back to our world?

Yvette Lehman: think that maybe a way that I would blend your strategy with mine. So I think that what I heard is, and this is something that I’m not great at is like those small commitments. I’m either an all in or nothing kind of person. Like either I devour a book in a very short amount of time or I don’t start it. But one aspect that might

keep me accountable is my network or people around me or other people who are invested in that book. So imagine we could actually bridge our ideas where like we could have a book talk with people outside of our network, right? Like imagine something like that where it’s like not only am I committing to this, you know, focus time, but then I also have accountability because there I’m going to be connecting virtually or even in person if you want it with people who are also reading this book. it gives me this

social aspect for the summer. It gets me maybe to meet new people even if it was like you invite people but ask everybody to invite a friend that maybe is is outside of that circle because I think that at the end of the day what we all want is to come back in September.

maybe a little bit inspired or just with a feeling energized to maybe try something new or do things a little bit differently and that alone it makes it exciting to come back. Like knowing I’m going to come back and I’m going to try to implement this new idea that I didn’t have last year or I’m going to come back feeling like well I networked with these people this year and they’ve had these successes and I’ve heard the success stories that they’re having. Maybe I can replicate that success in my own classroom.

Kyle Pearce: Hmm. I like, there’s two things that kind of jump out at me when you say that. Like the first one is it sounds to me like, you you had said you’re either all in or all out. And I, on the other hand, I’m saying like, I’m pretty much all out mostly, you know, when it comes to reading anyway, but not learning, not learning. And I think what I’m having this little mini epiphany is that,

you really have to look at yourself and really try to figure out like who are you and what’s going to be the best move for you in order to get you the outcome that you’re looking for. Right. And we talk about this a lot with our district improvement program and we talk about all the districts and like what is it that you are trying to do here. And I think that’s really important. One thing I know for certain is that if things weren’t working well like let’s think about why we’re

why we’re burnt out at the end of the year, right? You try a lot of things. Maybe you feel like systemically things aren’t, you know, working well in your school or your district, or maybe just in general, could be the state or the province, you know, the way things are going, whatever it is, you’re feeling, you’re feeling exhausted because something wasn’t working, ideally, the way you wanted it to. And if we don’t do anything over the summer,

The sad reality is that we’re just signing up for the exact same thing again. Whereas if we can do little things along the way, getting inspired is sort of like, that’s the thing that’s going to take you and give you sort of that hope that we can do it better, right? Like we can do something differently. like picking that thing that you’re looking to try and effect change on.

can be really important for you this summer. And it can be really energizing as you do this learning when you start to go, you know what, I think this is gonna help. And by it helping, it’s gonna make the entire school year potentially be a whole lot better than maybe the last one. I think that’s probably one of the key pieces for me that I’m kind of walking away with here is like, you know, we have to decide like, what are we willing to do in order to try to make next year?

better than the one that it was before. And it might’ve still been a great year. It might’ve been a successful year, but there’s those little pieces that can kind of grind you down, you know? And if we can hone in on those and look to get better in those areas, I think that’s gonna give you a really energetic summer. And I think doing that process will also make you feel more rejuvenated faster than say putting it off and keeping it in the back of your mind anyway.

Jon Orr: folks, you were feeling the pressure of the school year ending and looking to think about what summer is looking like, our goal here today was to help you celebrate the wins, but stay grounded with what’s happening, also to give yourself permission about what your plans are for the summer and build a summer plan for restoration and renewed, your renewed purpose. And so we talked about some of those ideas that we use.

and that you’re probably formulating some ideas of your own. And also you probably have systematized this already, it’s like, is what I do in the summer and I feel like it’s really working for me. Like what Kyle was saying, whatever you do, honor it, honor it. And if you do want, say, to look a little bit more up some of the books that we recommend, you can head on over to makemathmoments.com forward slash books. Also, for some of you who are thinking about that first week.

What does that first week look like in class? Head on over to our master resource around how to start the school year off right in math class. We’ve got a number of resources and goodies for you to take away there. So head on over to makemathmoments.com forward slash start. That’s makemathmoments.com forward slash start.

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