The Director's Planner: Week of November 11, 2024
Holiday week attendance, personal goal check-ins, and how to predict the future.
1 Weekly Challenge
Check-in on the progress of your personal improvement goal
Two weeks ago, I encouraged you to set a personal improvement goal for November. Take a moment this week to reflect: What goal did you set, and how has your progress been so far? Are you on track, or could you use a little adjustment to keep moving forward? This is your chance to celebrate progress, identify challenges, and recommit to making the most of your month!
And if you haven’t yet set a goal for yourself, there is no time like the present.
2 Thoughts to Consider
I. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” -Peter Drucker
What future are you going to create for the children, staff, and families at your center? What about for your own family, friends, and community? What is just ONE thing you can do this week to start?
II. “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” —Paulo Coelho
Remember, creating the future you want doesn’t require drastic changes. Start simply—strive to be better today than you were yesterday, and better tomorrow than you are today.
3 Action Items
I. Thanksgiving attendance prep
With the upcoming holiday week, it is likely you have received an increase in PTO requests from your team. So that makes it the perfect time to get an idea of which families are planning to attend on your shortened week, and which families will not be in attendance. Why does this matter? By planning ahead, you can very likely approve additional PTO while still keeping your classrooms in ratio. This saves your center payroll costs while allowing your staff the time off they are hoping for!
Want to learn more? Check out my post on how to implement this easy trick below. And Insiders can also access a free Holiday Week Attendance Tracker to use at your centers!
II. Stay on track for holiday week celebrations or activities
If your center celebrates Thanksgiving with activities like a classroom craft, gratitude wall, community feast, or special snack, make sure everything is on track! Double-check that all materials are ordered and on hand, and confirm that your staff and/or families are informed about the upcoming events to generate excitement and a sense of community.
And if you haven’t prepared anything yet but want to, my November Resource Toolkit helps you to easily implement a Kindness Challenge with pre-designed printables to use with the families at your center.
III. Conduct your monthly fire drill
Get ahead this month by completing your fire drill a week early! With shortened weeks and special activities filling the schedule, it can be easy to overlook drills during the holiday season. For new members, don’t forget to check out my Fire Drill Tracker if your state doesn’t provide a simple tracking option!