That Messy Desk... That Isn't Mine

Y'all... after a day like today, it's time to get real! The week is almost over and the year is halfway over. Little things are taking their toll. The pressure is on to make sure your kids are ready for the next grade level. I work, work, work them in small groups all morning long... we get ready to go to lunch, finally I take a good look around and there are parts of the room that are a disaster! 

That messy desk over there, it isn't mine! It's hers. Her scissors, eraser, marker and little cut up papers are all over the floor. She has doodled on her desk. She has unfinished work on and stuffed inside the desk. How many times have I told her to clean it up? Get it together! The desk fairy is coming! Table points are at stake! You will not get a dojo point if you leave that mess! 

It never sinks in. It never changes. Why can't she just be neat? 

Her home is in chaos. Her desk is chaos. 

It's no wonder she is disorganized. There is no place at home to put her things.  Does she have her own things? 

Why should she even bother to take care of her things? Nothing truly belongs to her anyway! 

She needs her own special things at school. I need to teach her a little organization. 

Students in poverty usually have no idea how to take care of their things and have no reason to. Someone will come along and use it, break it, move it, or just take it. We need to give them a reason to and a method for organizing. 

I created a little goal setting sheet for her to help her stay organized. I also created this poster that is displayed in the front of the classroom. There is a card on her desk to help her remember. I call out "Take 5 to organize... 1" and the students all chant and check #1. I call out "2" and students chant and check #2, and so on. We are all working on this skill 2 times per day. Before we leave for lunch and before we go home. 

She is getting better. Her area is a little neater. Maybe she can think a little clearer now. She turned in all of work completed today... her desk was still a little messy. The scissors were still on the floor. But something is better than nothing and I am so PROUD  of the baby steps.

Click here to grab the freebie packet to help your students get organized.