The Director's Planner: Week of July 28th, 2025
This Week’s Thought
There’s a whole lot going on in the world right now. Between the social media scroll that whiplashes from war zone footage to influencers pitching their favorite face cream, it’s no wonder our nervous systems feel fried. Then layer in the daily work of managing a center full of staff, children, and families (many of whom are also carrying the emotional weight of the world) and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
While I wish I had the power to fix everything (I don’t… yet.) It doesn’t mean I can’t positively make an impact in other spaces closer to home. And so can you. Instead of freezing, we can act, and help others do the same.
Because as the leader of a childcare center, you have a lot more influence than you probably realize.
So this week, consider one simple way to help your center community make a difference. Maybe it’s starting a food drive for August. Maybe it’s collecting gently used books and donating it a family shelter or low income school. Or maybe it’s hosting a blood drive for staff and families.
You might not change the world overnight (yet), but you can change your corner of it.
✨ Something to Use
In case you missed it, last week I shared three of my favorite operational resources that help me stay organized and keep things running smoothly behind the scenes!
Okay… technically, my schedule template officially drops later this week, but I’m giving my amazing subscribers early access with a sneak peek at my secret draft link below :)
Just click on the link, click make a copy and edit away to fit the needs of your center!
📅 What’s Coming Up
We are in week two of our Back-to-School Prep series! Each week, I’ll break it down into bite-sized tasks so you can stay on top of fall without feeling overwhelmed.
This Week’s Focuses:
✅ Communicate Open House dates
If you're planning an open house, use this week to get the word out to the families you want to attend. Promote it publicly through social media or local partnerships if you're targeting prospective families. If it's more of a “welcome back” event for current or new families, make sure it’s on your center calendar and send out a reminder email. The sooner you get on people’s busy schedules, the better!
✅Post and interview for open positions
Ideally, you’re already deep into interviews and filling open spots. If not—time to step on the gas! Here are a few of my favorite resources to help:
✅Post for substitute teacher positions
If you haven’t done this already, now’s the time to start building your sub list. This will be a lifesaver when inevitable absences pop up and you’re juggling a million things. A few easy ways to find subs:
Post in local social media groups to find parents who are available during the school day
Reach out to local high schools or colleges for students looking to earn extra hours
Use a sub agency (for local centers, Just in Time Teachers is a great one for early childhood centers)
✅Plan or confirm your fall in-service/training/workshop days
Learn from my mistake and reach out to confirm your training location, dates and times via email. Be sure to get it in writing, along with information for a “day-of” contact. I once had an entire center full of families locked out of a church for our holiday recital because I couldn’t reach anyone with a key... It all worked out, but that was a very stressful 15 minutes of my life.
Also, jot down basic expectations for the day. This doesn’t have to be formal, but think through questions that may be asked such as- What is expected of teachers? Can staff wear comfy clothes? Is food provided? What trainings will you be covering? What time is break?
We will send expectations out to the team as we get closer, but this is a good starting point.
🌟 Director Spotlight
As Directors, we’re often the ones noticing everyone else. Lifting up teachers, solving problems, and keeping things running behind the scenes. But while you are busy doing that, who’s noticing you?
There are thousands of you out there doing incredible things every day. Building strong teams, launching new ideas, and creating environments that truly support children and families. And all of that hard work deserves to be recognized.
So it’s time to BRAG! Hit reply and tell me what you are doing that you're proud of, big or small.
OR brag about one of your fellow directors!
Whether it’s a creative onboarding idea, a killer family event, or just something that’s making the boring stuff easier, I want to hear it. And don’t forget to include a photo of yourself, or your project, if you have one!
Let’s lift each other up and share the brilliance that’s already happening in our Collective. You might just be our next Director Spotlight!
