As a teacher, I had to be at work at 7:30 a.m. The kids arrived at 7:45 a.m.

And if you're like me, you are not realllllllly at your best first thing after waking.

Compound that issue with the switch to daylight savings in spring, and you're suddenly going to work in the dark again? No thank you.

I would set my alarm for the latest possible second, and then rush around trying to make sure I wasn’t late. Any unexpected interruption or disruption became a big problem. Because I left myself no margin and no buffer time, something as simple as a string of red lights could ruin my whole morning.

Once I got to school, I’d race down the hallway to my classroom. I only had a couple minutes to myself to breathe and prepare for all the hustle and bustle that a room full of third-graders brings first thing in the morning.

I would still be half-asleep as the kids arrived, and it would be a good 30 minutes into my first lesson before I’d feel like my head was really in the game.

After the eleventy-billionth time of sliding in the school doors juuuust in time, I finally decided to change my morning routine.

And that changed EVERYTHING for me.

Being intentional about how I started my day and creating a motivating morning routine was the simplest thing I ever did to improve my energy level and attitude toward my work.

I created an article + and podcast episode to help you create a morning routine that works for YOU (no matter how much you feel like you are not a morning person, or how early you have to get up).

There’s even a free “ideal morning” planner you can download. Use it to help you envision the morning habits that will make you feel less stressed and more energized to teach.

The most important thing to remember is this:

Be intentional about setting the tone for the day, and don’t leave your mood up to chance.

You can choose your thoughts, and you can choose your habits.

Be intentional about creating a morning routine that sets you AND your students up for success. I hope these resources will help you do just that.

Angela

P.S. If you’re a Truth for Teachers listener, I’ve got new episodes up for Season 9! You can subscribe to the podcast here so that new FREE audio episodes appear automatically in your podcast player app each week.

Angela Watson Connect with our community of educators: ​​​​​​ PODCAST CURRICULUM BOOKS COURSES SPEAKING

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