If a kid has a messy desk...it can really effect their learning...no joking about that. In inevitable we will have those kids that have the hardest time...NO MATTER WHAT! We can only do what we can do...but here are some things that I have found work pretty well!
First I supply each child with a basket (mine are black) for all of their supplies. I have tried it all...gallon bags, supply boxes...and this is the best I have found. I bought mine at Wal-Mart...2 for $1.49...I had to by 12 sets (24 baskets)...so it was a little under $20 I believe. I really did not want to spend the money but they help up great and I am on my 3rd year with them! I believe they are worth the money! I love that the kids are not opening and closing something and we can keep them out on the desk most of the day so the kids are not rummaging through their desks!
Blue Folder-Unfinished Work
Red Folder-Homework
Yellow Folder- (Depends...handwriting, centers...each year is different.)
Green Folder- Graded Papers
My rule is...NO LOOSE PAPERS IN THE DESK! lol. I have a desk fairy (me!) that comes around and looks in the desk! Go grab these, they are super cute!
I am also going to try something new this year...pencils seem to be eaten in my classroom! Okay not really...but where do they go!!??? lol. I am going to try The Great Pencil Challenge!
I will let you read about it, but I am pretty excited about the life of my pencils...I hope to save some! :)
My students also have the other things in their desks like Compositions Notebooks, Spirals and Silent Reading Books!
I have very simply techniques for those...label, label and label! I just print labels that say "Writing Journal" "Reading Journal" "Science Spiral" etc...and for their silent reading books we use gallon baggies!
My kids desks stay pretty awesome looking! I was proud of them this year! However we all still have those sweet kids who have a wave of trash come out of their desk each day! We love them anyway though!
How do you keep your kid's desks clean? Thoughts? Would love to hear them!
Great idea for the desk baskets! I'm definitely going to try this one. Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteKim
For the Love of Teaching
I agree with the labels! We label EVERYTHING on the first day of school (folders, ntoebooks, etc.) Parents are apparently starting to catch on, because occasionally I see a new take-home folder come to school already labelled! I also have my students put textbooks on the right side of their desks and notebooks/folders on the left. While some students will inevitably make a mess of their desk, for most students, just knowing where to put their social studies book when they are done with it has helped keep a majority of desks clean. Oh, and I also have the "No papers in the desk" rule!
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Happy blogging!
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