Organization is more than a clean locker! Straightening up the confusion can help with grades and tardies. See the ideas listed below. These ideas are from students for students - see what works for you!
Organization Tips
By Middle School Students for Middle School Students
There are many different ways to organize anything. Everyone organizes in his or her own way. You have to decide which way of organizing is easiest and best for YOU! Below are tips and ideas that may help you decide how to BETTER organize your items for school. Read the items below and decide how you want to plan to organize and then do it.
Lockers and Books
The inside of the locker is your special place in middle school. How well you keep your locker arranged and decorated is very important to you. Some students put the subject area folders with textbooks, and some put them on different shelves. Some people put backpacks on the top shelf, on the bottom shelf, or on a hook. The ultimate goal is to be organized so that you will know where your things are and where to put things away. You dont want to lose homework and possibly suffer a lower grade because you cant find work to submit to your teachers, nor do you want to lose important papers that need to be brought home to your parents.
Below are great suggestions for organizing from students like you. Read them all and think about which ideas will work best for you.
Color-code notebooks and book covers by subject area.
Keep the color-coding for the subjects the same every year. It is easier to remember which subject is which color, and it saves money and the environment because you might be able to reuse items.
Get covers that are diverse in design or color so that you eliminate grabbing the wrong book or folder by mistake.
Have a special folder or place for homework and for notes to parents. Carry this folder to all classes and home every day.
Place all books so that they are facing the same direction.
Put books in chronological order as to when your classes occur.
Keep your books and binders for the same class together so that they are easy to grab.
You might put folders on top shelf and books on bottom shelf.
Rotate your books so that what you need is, for example, always on the left side of the locker if storing books upright or always on the bottom of the shelf if stacking books.
As you finish a class, put the books, papers, and homework assignments you need at home in your backpack. That way at the end of the day, you are already packed to go home.
Have a separate project folder to keep all your project information and papers together in one place.
If stacking books on top of each other, put largest books on bottom to smallest on top.
Always keep extra pencils and pens in your locker.
Keep binders and folders organized. Periodically, such as after a unit of study or a quarter, take home your folders and clean them out. So that you are not overwhelmed, take home a different folder every day until you have cleaned them all out.
Anything you dont need at school, take home immediately.
Take home anything that you are not using; such as papers, jackets, or note cards.
How Do I Remember Everything?
Have a special place for your agenda and carry it to every class and bring it home every day.
Write assignments in your agenda as soon as you get them. Write the assignment on the day that it is due! Look ahead in your agenda to see what assignments are coming up. If it is a big project, then break it down into parts and make your own due dates for each part. Write them in your agenda to keep you on schedule and to keep from procrastinating, leaving all of the work until the last minute.
At the end of every day, read your agenda before you leave the locker area or during your last class to be sure you have what you need to study or complete homework.
Keep phone numbers of two people in each class so you can call them to get information about homework assignments.
Do I Need to Think About School When I am at Home?
Ideas for Home
Put your name on EVERYTHING with permanent marker or tags; including jackets, books, and eyeglass cases.
Have a special place at home for your school items.
Have a special place and time to do homework.
Every day, read the text that covers what the teacher went over that day.
Put a list of what you need every day in a special place at home where you will see it. Check the list at night so you are packed to go to school the next day. Eventually, it becomes a habit and you wont need the list except when you have special items to remember, like a project or book report.
Have a box at home to put your papers in when you clean out your folders, binder, and/or locker.
Pack your backpack in the evening so it is ready to go the next day.
Put your backpack in a special place so you dont forget it. Put it by the door where you will see it on your way out.
Is There Anything Else I Should Know about Organizing?
Tips for Anywhere at Anytime
Have a special place for everything and always put your things away. Always keep things in the same place so you know where to look for them and where to store them.
Follow the same routine every day.
If organizing, cleaning, doing a project, etc. seems overwhelming then break it down into smaller parts.
Relax, dont rush between classes or run in the hallways; you are allotted adequate time between classes. The first week of school, teachers are lenient about tardiness so that you become accustomed to the routine.
Visual Fractions Sometimes it is easier to understand the mysteries of fractions when you can see them in action. A great site for visual learners!
Poetry 4 Kids This is a wonderful site with funny poetry!
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