How Do I Fix Being Always Late? 10 Effective Ways to Be on the Dot

Time is a precious resource, especially in the fast-paced world of education. For teachers, punctuality is not just a matter of personal discipline; it directly impacts classroom dynamics, student learning, and overall professionalism.

If you’ve found yourself consistently struggling with tardiness, you’re not alone. This reminds me how do I fix being always late so it won’t become a habit.

As teachers, no matter how demanding our work is, we should try to fix being late. We can become eternally tardy otherwise. And it should be done or else many things stand compromised.

Could it be about enhancing my time management schemes?

using an alarm clock

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Well, that was before. That was the time that I still struggled to adjust to the very first year of my service in the teaching profession. And thanks goodness that I was able to find solutions and to fix being always late before I got to the dread of being ineffective.

With all my efforts and sincerity for good service, showing up to school early became a habit for me. I just didn’t bear the scene of having disappointed my students.

Being punctual is a necessary habit for working people, with special mention to the teachers. As for me, being late is a sign of disrespect to the time of others, especially to our students. Essentially, one of the exceptional habits of highly successful teachers is being punctual.

Then, I came to realize that my efforts of waking up early,  being organized, and preparing a to-do list were never a waste. These habits help me toward being productive which made my teaching family especially my school principal, very happy.

Gladly, in this post, I’d like to share my effective ways to be punctual, not only in showing up to work on time but also in being prompt in the submission of reports and paperwork.

Just think of the lost instructional time if you arrive 10 minutes late to your classes. It’s a disruption to the outlined activities for the day. Hence, it’s extremely necessary to develop your daily routines so you can be more productive.

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How Do I Fix Being Always Late? 10 Effective Ways to Be On the Dot

1. Prepare Your Things the Night Before

What do you need to keep up with your daily routines? Do you pack the things you need the night before? Do you prepare your teaching uniform or clothes before you go to bed?

Having purposefully done all the prepping customarily,  makes you deserve to have a relaxing morning daily before you proceed to school. This enables you to make decisions very early rather than choosing what to wear in the morning.

But if your things aren’t ready yet before you sleep at night, then you should wake up earlier to arrange and pack your things. Still, in reality, this manner eats your precious time.

Doing your assignments before going to bed makes you more ready for the next day and gives you enough time for the day. Fundamentally, getting a head start by packing your things will advance you for the following day.

The extra time you have each morning can be used to exercise and prepare for yourself. You’ll have enough time to look presentable in front of your students. Apply light makeup and you’ll look more blooming than ever.

Try this technique and you’ll never fall into the trap of being tardy.

2. Make the Most of Your Vacant Periods in School

No matter how busy we are in school, we definitely have extra time to craft assessments, instructional materials, and lesson plans for the next day. It’s just a matter of being organized and being conscious of how blessed we are with our time each day.

Time management is the key. Building this admirable habit help you enjoy performing your responsibilities as a teacher. Besides, making a plan for the next day helps you decide on the most appropriate activities that can sustain the engagement of your students.

By making the most of your time in school you come out with more productive learning experiences for your students. Don’t buy the idea that you will be exhausting yourself too much if you do this.

But if you love teaching sincerely, then consuming your vacant periods for developing lessons for tomorrow wouldn’t be a burden but an addition to being an effective teacher instead.

Moreover, preparing your learning activities and grading papers during the day, give you extra time at home for the night. Do you imagine the feeling of accomplishing more tasks each day? For sure, it gives you a good night’s sleep at night.

3. Sleep and Wake Up Early

If you have advanced a little work during the day as you have seriously taken tip#2, you can sleep early for the night and have a fresh morning. This you can enjoy if you let go of nightlife during weekdays.

Moreover, sleeping early and waking up early should become a routine; hence, it should be made constant.

If you wake up late, you can’t be as productive as those teachers who have arrived at school earlier than expected because they embrace the day a lot sooner than you do. Waking up early is the most practical way of avoiding being consistently late. It’s the dose of discipline that you most needed.

By sleeping early, you recharge your body very well, giving you the right amount of energy for the next day.  Besides, sleeping late is the main culprit of why your mornings are overcrowded with so many things that you are so undecided about your priorities.

If this happens, you get very exhausted the very first part of the day which offers you an unproductive moment in school. As a great teacher, you just can’t afford to be late again if just in case you’ve just missed being in your class on the dot once.

Grab this tip seriously lead a very productive life as a teacher and radiate it to your students.

4. Be Organized

Prioritizing tasks can help you become organized and eliminate your “hastily done” moments. It counts a lot. When every morning you are decisive in the things you do, you get the enthusiasm you most needed.

I have learned how to balance everything by being organized. So far, this has made me a lot different from 15 years ago.

Beginning each they with a positive mindset makes you always excited to go to school. By that, you never see yourself late and you show up in your classroom earlier than your students. This is a good indication that you’re taking your responsibilities with great love and passion.

using an alarm clock

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5. Be Mindful of Your Schedule

One of the best ways to keep track of your time is by being heedful of your schedule. Post it on your working table in your classroom but it should also be visible in your workplace at home.

Absolutely, by increasing the visibility of your schedule whether at home or in school, you can keep track of time and essentially budget every second for your morning routine to make sure that you show up in school early or earlier than scheduled.

Keep being unproductive at bay, as a teacher means being conscious to schedule and it should begin during the very first day of classes.  Developing a sense of awareness, as a teacher will help you become keener to your responsibilities. And if you do it you are more vigilant to time.

6. Aim to Arrive at School 10-20 Minutes Ahead of Time

Make it a deal to yourself. It should be done. Arriving in school ahead of time will help you prepare the necessary things before the class sets you up for a new learning journey. You can best prepare the equipment to be used and execute your planned seating arrangement for that particular day. Best of all, you are ready.

“Timeliness is best in all matters.” – Hesiod

Waking up early is a challenge. When the cold morning still invites you to tuck up in bed, you find it really challenging to wake up early and begin a new day with fresh energy.  However, with a strong spirit of professionalism, you can get out of your door early and be in school ahead of time as scheduled. This boosts your productivity as you avoid all instances of being tardy.

Make it your mantra, and make it happen.

7. Keep Calm

No matter how hectic your schedule is and how busy you can get each day, dealing with things with so much calmness can help you get through and go to school earlier than scheduled. As life happens, there can be things that may interfere with your usual routines. There can be something that goes in the way. And it’s critical to keep calm and focused.

I know that it couldn’t always be possible that things would run smoothly as you expected them to. But your calm bearing will help you not be rushed.

If for example, you happen to wake up late for certain reasons, you should be ready with your plan B to best accommodate the situation so you won’t show up in school late.

8. Set Your Alarm

Setting your alarm is the most realistic tip to kick off the bed at the crack of dawn.  It’s the most practical cue to rise and shine. Thus, it becomes the most clever device in my bedroom.

Being a teacher for years, my alarm clock has stood by me and has given me the best innuendo to be up early. I earned this realization after the first year of my teaching career when being tardy became a constant happening.

A colleague told me to set my alarm to help myself beat the perpetual tardiness. And it really helped. I just couldn’t deny the role of my alarm clock in building up my new perspective about setting out the day with enthusiasm. Interestingly, my alarm clock supported my ways of becoming a productive and better teacher.

9. Embrace Mindfulness and Time Awareness

Practice mindfulness techniques to cultivate a heightened sense of time awareness. Set periodic reminders throughout the day to check in with yourself and evaluate your progress. Mindfulness helps you stay present and prevents time from slipping away unnoticed.

Begin each day with a clear intention to be present, punctual, and fully engaged in your teaching responsibilities. Make it a habit to arrive at school or your classroom a bit early. This extra time allows you to settle in, organize materials, and mentally prepare for the day ahead.

Remember, embracing mindfulness and time awareness is a journey, and it takes time to develop these habits. Be patient with yourself and make incremental improvements over time.

10. Time Audit and Planning

Conduct a thorough analysis of your daily routine. Create a detailed schedule that allocates time for each activity, including morning preparations, commute, and classroom setup. Incorporate buffer time to accommodate unexpected delays. Use digital tools, planners, or apps to help you stay organized and accountable.

Time audit and planning are essential skills for us teachers to ensure effective classroom management, organization, and punctuality.

Start by keeping a detailed record of your daily activities for a week. Use a digital or physical journal to log the time you spend on different tasks, including teaching, preparing lessons, grading, meetings, breaks, and personal activities.

<<<How to make your time management works? Watch this video to get insights on time management.

Piece of advice. Never let your students wait for you in the classroom as you should be the one waiting for them in your designed learning environment.  Make it a habit to arrive earlier than your students. Again, good discipline helps you do so.

Besides, one of the best ways to become a good example of punctuality to your students is you.  Appreciate your schedule and love your work. Going to school on time ensures that your students will learn more things and you will not be extending your time just because you are 15 minutes late.

Conclusion

Being consistently punctual is not an insurmountable challenge. It requires a blend of self-awareness, planning, and discipline.

Remember, the change won’t happen overnight, but with consistent effort, you can transform your punctuality and, in turn, enhance your effectiveness as an educator.

In my teaching, I realize that being punctual in coming to school is a great way of showing students that time is a great source of being productive.  Have you been late before? How did you fix it? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.