Monday, August 25, 2008

The Scott Method of Organizing Your Desk




Here are the first four steps for students when organizing their desks: (Note: Students may practice with adult supervision at first, and later use a notebook with step-by-step instructions and photos for independent organizing. Many teachers have found that desk organization works best when it is introduced as a large group activity.)

1. Take EVERYTHING out of your desk. You might want to use your chair as an extra "table."

2. Bring a trashcan over to your desk.

3. Wipe out the inside of the desk with a damp paper towel, then dry it with a dry paper towel.

4. Inside the desk, stack textbooks, workbooks and folders on just one side.

--Make sure the most often-used things are on top of the stack.

--Put things away so you can read the covers without having to turn them around.
More steps coming in the next post.

1 comment:

Beth Lloyd said...

Finding items in your desk in a timely manner is so important for students!

I love the visuals you use for books on one side and journals, workbooks, etc on the other. Similarly, I often have students put things you "read" on one side and things yous "write in" on the other side (putting these on the right or left depending on what hand they write with).

We also use "desk comment" cards with a complimentary message. We put these in their desk when we "catch" them keeping their desk neat and organized. It helps with ongoing organization.