The Director's Planner: Week of April 14th, 2025
On optimization, sunscreen, and Kidlin's Law
We’re officially halfway through April—and just under 40 days from the end of the school year here in Minnesota (not that I’m counting or anything…). If you missed it, be sure to check out my latest post Wired to Lead? Neurodivergence in Early Childhood Education Leadership. It’s the first in a new mini-series diving into how differently-wired brains show up in leadership, specifically in the early childhood field.
Now, onto the main event!
1 Monthly Focus
Plan Teacher Appreciation Week (TAW)
Each week in April, we’re tackling one step of Teacher Appreciation Week planning—If you haven’t started, be sure to go back and look at the planner for the past two weeks to get caught up!
Here’s what to focus on this week:
✅ Ensure all supplies are ordered
By the end of this week, you should have all teacher appreciation supplies either ordered or assigned to a community volunteer (aka a helpful parent). This gives you time for shipping delays, forgetful families, and last-minute surprises.
✅ Send an email to families
Now that your theme days are set and you’ve compiled your “Favorite Things” binder, it’s the perfect time to loop families in. Let them know Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up, where they can find their teacher’s favorites, and how they can contribute.
💡 Pro Tip: Want it done for you? Use my pre-written email template and customize it for your center.
2 Thoughts to Consider
I. “The ultimate form of optimization is elimination. Nothing is more effective than removing the ineffective.” – James Clear
We talk a lot about optimizing our time, but what if the best thing you could do this week was take something off your plate entirely? What system, meeting, or task are you still doing out of habit—even though it hasn’t served you (or your team) in months? This week, take one thing that feels like a chore and ask yourself, “Does this actually need to be done?” If not—cut it. Clear out the noise so you can focus on what matters.
II. Kidlin’s law states, “If you write a problem down clearly and specifically, you have solved half of it.”
Your brain loves to swirl vague stress into full-blown chaos. But most of the time, the problem isn’t actually everything—it’s one or two specific things. Instead of saying “we’re short-staffed and overwhelmed,” try writing down exactly what isn’t working. Is it the opening shift? Lunch coverage? Tour scheduling? Clarity brings control. The next time your brain is buzzing, grab a sticky note and put the problem into plain words. You might be halfway to solving it.
3 Action Items
I. Review summer schedules + staffing needs
Summer’s closer than it looks. Now’s the time to review staff PTO requests, enrollment projections, and any open positions you might need to fill. If you anticipate needing more coverage, go ahead and post your job openings so you’re ready by June.
II. Update the sunscreen bins
Warmer weather = time to double check your sunscreen stash. Check expiration dates, stock up for the season, and start sending out permission slips now so you’re not chasing them down later.
💡 Pro Tip: Need an easy sunscreen permission slip to use at your center? Grab this free sunscreen permission slip download to share with your parents! I have one version for centers who supply the sunscreen, and another for center’s whose parents supply the sunscreen.
III. Start your seeds
If your classrooms are planning any gardening this spring or summer, now’s the time to get those seeds started! Ask families for donations or pick up a few kid-friendly veggie varieties yourself. Just be sure each classroom knows what they’re planting—and where—so things don’t turn into a tomato vs. cucumber turf war. Add some dirt, a few kid-sized tools, and let the tiny farmers take it from there.
And that’s it for this week! Easy as A, B, C, 1, 2, 3.
As always, I am SO thankful when my followers share these free resources with other Directors. The more we grow our community, the more we can uplift and support each other in this challenging (and rewarding) role. Thank you for being here!
