12 Tips For An Organized School Year

During my time in the classroom,  I noticed that parents asked for tools and resources to help their students with organization. I shared plenty of strategies, however these 12 proved to be the most successful for families. 

Organization is so important, and if you're like me you struggle with it from time to time or maybe all the time.But whether you are organized or not,  we all know that the best learning experiences take place in prepared and organized environments. So we should always encourage our children and students to have strategies and tools to get and stay organized throughout the school year.

 And although these tips are geared towards parents as they prepare for another school year, I encourage other educators and school leaders to share these tips with their school families early on in the school year. 

Here we go!

Tip # 1. Discuss what your child can expect on the first day, so they feel more prepared. Whether that first day is kindergarten or the first day of college. Everyone will get nervous in anticipation for what's ahead, take into consideration your own experiences and help your child mentally and physically prepare for what’s ahead!  

Tip # 2. Set your kids' sleep schedules back to "school time" two weeks before the first day of school. Then, establish a regular morning and night routine, such as laying out school clothes the night before. It takes a few days to a few weeks to establish a habit and routine. Try to get a head start and help your child practice good habits, such as using the night time to prepare for the day ahead

Tip # 3. Encourage your kids to read at least two to three books before the school year begins. Reading is fundamental, help your child practice good reading habits at home and watch them transfer over to their school life.

Tip # 4. Get the lists of school supplies, books and technology your kids will need and then inventory last year's school supplies before going out to buy more. The back to school shopping struggle is real. So having a list and checking it twice helps ensure that your child has everything they need for the school year. It also helps prevent you from purchasing items you don't need, and you may even save money by using items from last year that may have went unopened.

Tip #5. Download apps like iHomework and to help your kids organize assignments.  Apps like StudyBlue, Evernote, Popplet, Egenda, Google Calendar, ICal all help with organization. 

Tip #6. Create a family calendar that tracks everyone's activities and commitments.Whether you create a physical calendar for the whole house to see or a digital calendar that sends notifications to everyone's devices, a calendar is essential to keeping everyone organized and on track with their daily activities. 

Tip #7. Determine how long it takes them to do assignments to help with time management and work together to make a to-do list to teach students how to prioritize their assignments. To do or not to do, that is the question. Having a list and checking it off after each task is complete releases chemicals to the brain that feel really good for adults and especially for students. So get in the habit of checking off tasks together as you go through the week. 

Tip #8. Use a timer to get your kids used to focusing for specific periods of time. Focus focus, everybody Focus. Focus is incredibly essential to completing tasks and getting better at whatever you are working on at the moment. It is also something that needs to be practiced, especially with our current environment and shorter attention spans. 

Homework should definitely be done in increments of 10 to 15 minutes at a time depending on the age of your child. Some may say that ten minutes is  too long. So start wherever your child is and set a goal for how long you plan to focus on this assignment. For example, you can say “ Let's work on this assignment for 8 minutes and then you can take a short brain break (no more than 3-5 min)  to go grab a snack and then when you come back, you can do another 8 minutes of work." Set a timer, practice focusing on a specific task without any distractions and you will see a huge difference in task completion and organization!

Tip #9. Create a dedicated space for your kids to store their school supplies and technology and establish a specific space like the family office as an official "homework station." Finding a space in the house to designate as the “workspace’ or “homework station” is great for transitioning from T.V. time to homework time. This place should definitely be free of clutter and in an environment with little to no distractions. I know that sometimes that can be hard, especially if you have a house full of family and children and pets. But having that designated space definitely makes a difference in your student's ability to focus and get organized.

Tip #10. Remove distractions like TVs and video game consoles from homework areas.To Add to number 9, removing distractions like TV and video games from those designated homework areas are important and will help students remember that they have to complete a task and must  focus on that task until it is done. So unless their tablet is helping them complete the assignment. I know some students "Talk to Text" or have to watch videos for class. Many create documents and projects through  tablets and computers. Those situations are fine, however if the gadget is being used as a distraction then it should be removed and be used when the student goes on a brain break.

Tip #11. Have your kids set realistic goals for the new year, such as reading 20-30 books or being able to quietly focus on task for 15 minutes or more. Set about three to five realistic goals for the school year. Try to stay in the five or less range to avoid getting overwhelmed. And don't forget to check those goals off as they are completed. Then add new goals as you go. 

Tip #12. Touch base with teachers early on to share organization goals. Before the school year starts, or at the very beginning of the year. Touch base with your child’s teachers to gain an understanding of the class structure and workload. Share where your student is and what you're working on at home.I know that many schools hold back to school nights at the beginning of the year. That is always a great time to have a one-on-one conversation with your child's teacher and begin to build lines of communication, which are essential to a productive and successful school year.

I hope you find these tips helpful as you and your family prepare for another school year. These are just some of many tips that can help with organization. But we are all unique and there is no one size fits all that works for everyone. I always encourage families to use trial and error until they find what strategies work best for their families!

With that said, Please share any additional back to school organizational tips and strategies that you use with your student, children and/or families. I look forward to reading those. 

Remember that our Potential for Learning is Unlimited, so challenge yourself today by learning something new and sharing it with the world. I guarantee that someone has been waiting for what you have to share.

At LearnED Potential our mission is to ensure that every child, regardless of zip code, background, language or ability has access to positive educational experiences. #learnedpotential

  Until Next time!