Helping Students Get Organized - Student Desks

Organization is key to success, in most aspects of life, but especially in the learning environment. Helping your students get organized in the beginning of the year (and periodically helping them re-organize throughout the year!) is a great way to set them up for success! The idea is; if they always put their homework in the same folder, they will have less of a chance of losing it. If they always keep their math binder in the same place, it will make the transition from social studies to math even smoother. If they keep their pencil/eraser in the same place in their desk, it will always have a writing instrument when they need it!

Since their desk is a focal point, containing most of the materials they'll need throughout the day, that's a good area to start! We love the idea of a "Clean Desk Diagram", like this one from The Cornerstone, that your students can use to help them keep their desk organized! Not only will it help them store and find items more easily, it will also help them care for their learning materials; papers, workbooks, and notebooks can become scrunched, torn, and wrecked when shoved haphazardly into the desk!

Angela not only has her kiddos model their desks after the diagram in the beginning of the year, but has them use it as a checklist throughout the year to 'clean' their desks!

A clean desk is a great first step in getting your kiddos organized!