Happy December, and welcome to all of our new members! We’re so glad you’re here.
And yes… you are getting two emails from me today. I try not to overwhelm your inbox, but Thanksgiving week did a number on my free time with all three kids home and demanding full attention. It was fun! Just not exactly productive… Which means here we are, catching up together 🤪 So let’s get to this week’s planner!
💡 This Week’s Thought
“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.” —Galileo
There’s quite a bit of research showing that feedback alone rarely changes behavior. What does make a difference is helping people discover the next step for themselves. When someone feels ownership over an idea, they’re far more likely to act on it. In early childhood leadership, this plays out every single day. Teachers learn more from watching how you handle a hard conversation, redirect a child, or stay calm during chaos than from any amount of emailed reminders or written notes.
It’s a good reminder this month that how we show up often teaches more than anything we say. Leading with steadiness, curiosity, and consistency helps your team do the same. And as we move into the wildness of December, your tone, pacing, and presence might just be the thing that keeps the whole building grounded.
✨ Something to Use
It’s a new month, which means it’s time for December’s Monthly Resource Toolkit! For our newest members, this monthly toolkit is created specifically for childcare directors as a way to support your work with staff and families. It’s not a set of activities for teachers to use in their classrooms. Instead, it’s meant to make connection, communication, and team building easier on top of everything else you’re already managing.
Inside, you’ll find a Staff Learning Spotlight you can use in your monthly meeting or hang in the lounge, pre-written newsletter content for both families and staff, and simple celebrations you can lean on to build community without adding hours of prep to your plate. Click below to download!
📅 What’s Coming Up
Each week I break down your to-do list into bite-sized tasks so you can stay on top of running your program without feeling overwhelmed.
I. Send your monthly newsletter
It’s the start of December, which means it’s time to connect with families and staff about the month ahead. Share important dates (especially with closures coming up!), reminders, and a little warmth as we head into the busiest stretch of the year. If you use my monthly toolkit, feel free to copy and paste my newsletter example, making any edits needed for your center!
II. Ensure annual staff trainings are complete
This is the perfect week to double-check that all annual training requirements for your staff are finished or scheduled. I typically throw all of my staff names into a google sheet with the mandatory trainings listed in columns at the top. I enter the dates throughout the year as the trainings are completed, which makes it easy to see who is missing what! December gets chaotic fast, and nothing is worse than the end-of-year scramble to track down one missing certificate.
III. Double-check your winter supplies
Even if you’ve already seen snow this year, now is the time to make sure you’re fully restocked for round two, three, and four. Check that you have:
Ice melt or salt
Shovels
Snow brushes (it is nice to keep a bin of these near the front for parents to borrow!)
Entryway rugs or mats
Extra gloves, socks, and hats for kids
Working boot trays
Wet clothing bags
And while you’re at it, give your entryway a quick seasonal spruce-up. Families notice when the front door feels warm and inviting, especially if you are located somewhere where pick-up and drop-off is now done in the dark!
🌟 Director Spotlight
Don’t forget to hit reply and tell me what you (or a fellow Director) are doing that you’re proud of, big or small. I want you to brag! Let me hear it!
And that’s it for this week! Easy as A, B, C, 1, 2, 3.
As always, I am so grateful to all of my readers who share my work with other Directors in the field. Together we will do wonderful things!
