By Nicolle Cuddey, Operations Systems Manager

As a former Center Director, I had to wear many hats. Being a Center Director means having to quickly jump from an administrator to a teacher to cook in the blink of an eye. Because of the fast-paced nature of the position, it can be challenging to manage time and stay on top of important tasks.

Here are some tips I’ve learned along the way that helped meet critical daily goals while ensuring that my center thrived.

1. Create a plan  

Whether it is by day or by week, having a plan is key in managing your time. Block scheduling is a great way for you to lay out your day so that you can hit all goals (parent presence, classroom presence, office hours, etc.).

2. Maintain an ongoing to-do list  

Be sure to keep track of everything that needs to get done or that you would like to complete. Prioritize your to-do list periodically so that you know which items must get done first and which ones can be done later.

3. Highlight your priorities  

If there are items with a deadline, be sure to highlight them within your schedule or to-do list. Knowing your priorities is essential so that if you have a day that doesn’t go as planned, you can be sure to tackle your priorities and save the other items on your list for the next day.

4. Teamwork  

If you have an administrative team member, work together to accomplish everything you need to get done. Leaning on teammates and delegating some of the workload is a great way to stay on top of everything while avoiding burn out.

5. Meet with yourself 

Taking the time to reflect on the day/week past and the day/week ahead is a great way to hit the reset button and plan on how to improve for the day/week ahead.

6. Be flexible  

Childcare keeps you on your toes. Although you may have a plan in place, know that sometimes you are going to have to move things around so that you can meet the needs of your children and center first.

While there are many signs that things are coming back to some semblance of normalcy, Center Directors are still facing a lot of challenges surrounding staffing and other issues related to the pandemic. Still, incorporating these habits that will help achieve long-term success, particularly during busy times.