Part IV: Meeting Deadlines and Keeping Appointments

It is obviously essential that you meet deadlines, be they deadlines set by your principal, by a parent, or of your own accord. You must respect deadlines and make no excuses to yourself for missing them. The following procedures will eliminate the missed deadlines and allow you to meet deadlines, as well as people’s expectations.

• Write down a date or deadline immediately upon notification. Don’t delay! Write it down in your calendar the day it is due.
• Write down the same deadline in your task list, far enough in advance so that you can prepare. For example, on Tuesday, write “Prepare for conference with Johnny’s mom on Thursday.”
• In your daily task list, write down the day of an event and the actual appointment, stating “Johnny’s mom’s conference prepared?”
• Set an alarm (perhaps on your cell phone?) to notify yourself of an appointment a few minutes in advance so that you have time to gather your materials and travel to the appointment spot. Many teachers might choose not to have the alarm because they refer often enough to their task list and can keep a mental alarm in their heads. But for those who look down at the end of the day at their task list and find themselves missing an appointment or task, an alarm will prove to be a welcome reminder.

Remember, keeping deadlines and appointments is one of the most crucial points to being organized. This is true not only because of the actual importance of the appointment or deadline, but also because it shows respect, gains respect, and builds others’ confidence in you as a professional.