I know I can’t be the only teacher out there who hates battling the messy desks. No matter how many times we clean them throughout the year, they always seem to become a disaster in the matter of a day or two. Hardcover books on the right side, folders and notebooks on the left, with space in the middle for supplies does NOT seem to work. Every time students need to put papers back into a folder, it is always preceded with “Put this paper in your _____ folder.” Perhaps the kids think I’m speaking some foreign language because apparently they just think I’m telling them to quickly shove it to the back of their desk. I also try to cut down on the clutter by not having them keep their science and social studies textbook in their desk. Those are two very thick books that we only use a couple times a week. I take the few minutes to pass them out and collect them every time because I honestly don’t know what would happen if they were to keep them in there too!
I don’t have a ton of storage room in my classroom, but I went around before we started cleaning and chose 6 of the messiest desks because that’s how many baskets I had room for. Those students need to keep any extra supply (coloring utensil, flash cards, books, scissors, glue, etc.) in that basket. We even dumped many of their supplies into a large Ziploc baggie so they can just grab that when it is needed. Basically, whenever they need something, they have to walk over to their basket to get what they need. It has actually been working quite well and the clutter in those desks have definitely been reduced, although I do find a few loose papers now and then. I debated putting names on the baskets but decided against it because I didn’t want them to stand out to visitors or students from other classes as being disorganized. They don’t have any problems figuring out which basket is which.
This has been working for me for the past couple of months. Do you do anything with your students that helps keep their desks organized? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
