Just Show Up (On Time, and Like You Mean It)

Teaching isn't just about knowledge. It's about showing them how to be someone people can count on.

There’s something wildly underrated in the business of teaching: showing up. Not metaphorically. Literally. On time. Prepared. Consistently. Like someone who gives a damn.

No AI tool, no slick slide deck, no buzzword-heavy pedagogy can replace the basic human signal you send every time you walk into a classroom ready to go: I’m here. You can count on me.

We don’t talk about it much because it’s not sexy. Dependability isn’t disruptive. Being reliable doesn’t make headlines. But here’s the truth: if you can’t model the fundamentals, don’t expect students to magically absorb them. Teaching isn’t just transfer of knowledge—it’s transmission of habits. And guess what? Being someone others can count on is a superpower in adult life.

You know the students who are always just a bit late, always one step behind, always "almost finished" with their part of the project? They're mirroring something. If not you, then the system around them that says “eh, close enough.” But when they see you always ready, always present, always prepared—it becomes harder to pretend that half-assed is normal. You don’t even need to lecture about it. Just model it.

So no, I don't have a “framework” for this. There’s no acronym. Just this: be the kind of adult you hope they’ll become. On time. Prepared. Consistent. Reliable. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the bedrock of trust—and let’s face it, without trust, none of the other stuff sticks.

Teaching isn’t performance. It’s presence.