Use Time Wisely, Less Stress, More Success

Welcome leaders🖍️

We know the truth: early childhood educators are some of the hardest-working people out there. Even the most passionate teachers can burn out when the workday bleeds into personal time, or when documentation and compliance tasks start piling up.

The good news👀? With the right support, your team can use classroom downtime (like naptime) to work smarter, not harder!

 When used intentionally, these quiet moments can help teachers:

• Stay caught up with planning, documentation, assessments, etc

• Cleaning and organizing their classroom

• Avoid taking work home

• Feel more in control of their day

It’s not about doing more, it’s about using time more intentionally.

Why Time Management Matters

 Helping teachers manage their time wisely during the day doesn’t just boost productivity; it also:

📉Reduces After-Hours Work: When teachers use downtime to complete lesson prep, documentation, or parent communication, they’re less likely to carry that burden home.

💪🏽Supports Licensing Compliance: Timely documentation (such as incident reports, daily sheets, observations, and ratio logs) is essential for staying in compliance. Using naptime and dedicated planning time to handle these items helps ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

📈Improves Overall Effectiveness: When teachers aren’t rushing or falling behind, they’re more present, prepared, and engaged with the children. That directly impacts classroom quality.

💗Protects Teacher Wellness: Helping your staff feel “done” at the end of the workday is one of the best ways to combat burnout and increase retention.

Coach Habits, Not Just Tasks

As an early childhood leader, you're not just managing people, you’re developing professionals. Your role isn’t just to make sure boxes get checked; you are building a team of confident, intentional educators who feel in control of their time and proud of their work.

That starts with coaching, not just what needs to be done, but how teachers approach their time day-to-day.

Why This Matters🤔: Many educators don’t struggle with motivation; they struggle with capacity. When a teacher ends the day feeling behind, overwhelmed, or unsure of where their time went, it can lead to burnout, turnover, and missed opportunities for high-quality care.

By coaching teachers to build healthy, repeatable time management habits, you help them:

➡️Reduce fatigue decision
➡️Work more efficiently without rushing
➡️Prioritize tasks
➡️Leave at the end of the day with a sense of peace and accomplishment
➡️Maintain compliance without scrambling

When time is used with intention, effectiveness and job satisfaction rise, while stress goes down.

How to Coach This Habit in Real Life

Building time-use habits is a leadership responsibility; it doesn’t just happen in a memo or one-time training. Here’s how to build a culture of intentional time use in your center:

1. Start with Conversations that Build Awareness: Use one-on-ones, classroom visits, or informal check-ins as a time to coach, not just correct. Ask open-ended, nonjudgmental questions. These questions promote reflection and help you understand what’s working, or where support is needed.

2. Support Meaningful Reflection: Once teachers become aware of how they’re using (or losing) time, help them think through what can shift. Guide their reflection with prompts. These questions help teachers take ownership of their time and recognize where small improvements can make a big impact.

3. Provide Tools to Support Success: Once you’ve created awareness and reflection, make sure your teachers have practical tools and systems to support their new habits. Some ideas:

   1. Designate Weekly Planning to help structure their two-hour out-of-classroom planning block

   2. Naptime Productivity Checklists ideas like cleaning room, organization, prep for afternoon lessons, or entering updates into each child’s portfolio

💡Leadership Takeaway…
Coaching the habit of use of time isn’t a one-time task; it’s a shift in center culture. This means:

• Modeling good time management as a leader

• Protecting teachers’ planning time, and not letting it be pulled for “just a quick thing”

• Checking in regularly about what’s working (and what’s not)

• Celebrating teachers who are using time effectively and inspiring others

As early childhood leaders, you have the power to shape not just classrooms, but careers, confidence, and culture. When you prioritize time for planning, protect pockets of focus, and coach teachers to use their days with intention, you're not just checking boxes; you’re building professionals. Remember, empowered teachers lead empowered classrooms.

When your teachers feel supported, prepared, and valued, the entire program thrives. Let’s lead with purpose, manage with heart, and always make time for what matters most.

Till next time,

Jen Sprafka📋