When the Clock Wins: What Going Over Time Taught Me About Presence and Precision
The Virtual Vibe: Success and Sanity for the Online Teacher
February 23, 2026
I didn’t bomb my presentation.
But I didn’t stick the landing either.
And somehow, that bothered me more.
I was presenting virtually at a conference after a last-minute pivot thanks to a Florida snowstorm that clearly didn’t consult my calendar. The session was engaging. People were responding. I was in it. And then…the clock won.
I went over my time.
Not by a gentle “wrap it up,” but enough that the session needed to transition as scheduled.
If you’ve ever been teaching, presenting, or leading and suddenly realized the time you thought you had and the time you actually had are not the same, you know that feeling. The internal cringe. The mental replay. The voice that starts narrating everything you should have done differently.
What bothered me most wasn’t the transition itself. It was the feeling that I had let people down. Like they had given me their attention and didn’t get the final chapter. After weeks of preparation, I worried it made me look unprofessional, when the real issue wasn’t professionalism, it was precision. I also worried it could have looked like I didn’t value the presenters coming after me, when that was absolutely not the case.
I got caught up in something I care deeply about.
And I lost track of the clock.
This is the part we don’t talk about when things go well.
Teaching is hard. The real kind of hard. The kind layered with pacing pressures, interruptions, and constant evaluation.
So when you finally hit a moment where the people in front of you are all in, you don’t want it to end. You keep going because that’s where the magic lives.
But without boundaries, the magic doesn’t gently fade.
It ends sooner than you expect.
And suddenly, the thing you were proud of feels like a mistake.
Moments like this are why some teachers stop taking risks.
We try something new. We feel the energy shift. And when something unexpected throws us off, we retreat instead of adjust. We forget the lesson was strong and convince ourselves the entire thing was a failure.
That space between excitement and disappointment is uncomfortable. It’s where the spiral starts.
Maybe I’m not meant for this.
Maybe I should stop trying.
But here’s what I know now.
This isn’t about being less passionate. Passion is the point. It’s what creates connection and momentum and meaning.
But passion without intention needs guardrails, especially around time and endings.
Time matters. Transitions matter. Endings matter. And honoring shared time matters too. When we confuse precision with perfection, we miss the lesson entirely. Chasing perfection doesn’t make us better. It just talks us out of things we’re actually good at.
If you’re sitting with a moment that didn’t land the way you hoped, I get it.
It’s okay to feel the disappointment. To replay it in your head. To wish you could redo the ending.
Just don’t build a house there.
I’ve learned I can only sit in that space for so long before I have work to do. Adjustments to make. Lessons to carry forward. If I had allowed moments like this to derail me, I wouldn’t still be doing this work today.
Growth doesn’t come from getting it right every time.
It comes from staying reflective, staying curious, and staying willing to refine what comes next.
Because impact rarely happens in a perfect arc.
It happens in ripples.
And sometimes the ripple you didn’t plan for is the one that changes how you show up next time.
About the Author
With over 20 years in education - most of them spent in the virtual trenches - Desire’ Mosser has done more than survive online teaching; she’s helped others thrive in it! As the author of SOS: Strategies for Online Survival, she dishes out practical tools, honest lessons, and just the right amount of humor to keep educators going.
Former Pasco eSchool Teacher of the Year and Florida Virtual Schools Mentor of the Year, she continues to champion excellence in virtual learning today. She currently serves as Vice President of B.O.L.D. (Blended Online Learning Discovery of Florida). Her passion? Coaching educators to find their stride, build meaningful connections with students and families, and master the art of scheduling for sanity—preferably with a strong cup of coffee in hand. For more real talk, useful tips, and the occasional caffeine-fueled confession, connect with her on LinkedIn.
