What’s a child to do when their parents either aren’t organized or aren’t able to teach them how to be organized? What happens when the school isn’t able to encourage children to organize themselves? In my experience, grades drop and students feel overwhelmed by all of the clutter and mess.
The first of the nine Principles of Learning, as written by the Institute For Learning, states:
Organizing for Effort
An effort-based school replaces the assumption that aptitude determines what and how much students learn with the assumption that sustained and directed effort can yield high achievement for all students. Everything is organized to evoke and support this effort, to send the message that effort is expected and that tough problems yield to sustained work. High minimum standards are set and assessments are geared to the standards. All students are taught a rigorous curriculum, matched to the standards, along with as much time and expert instruction as they need to meet or exceed expectations.
Is there any wonder that this principle is number one? Without organization and effort, the following principles of academic rigor, accountable talk, and self-management of learning cannot occur.
So how do we, the education professionals, help our students organize themselves to maximize their efforts? I think of a particularly anal teacher who specified what was written and stored in either the student’s notebook or in kept in a certain section of the 3-ring binder that was solely used for her class. I know I wasn’t this specific, but I did have rules on how to organize a notebook, what is written in each notebook and where to keep papers once they are graded and returned.
Now, there are tutors simply for this premise. This NYT article talks about tutors who focus on organizing boys (what, like there aren’t disorganized girls too?). The rules are simple– a weekly tutoring session on organization.
She requires her clients to have a three-ring, loose-leaf binder for each academic subject, to divide each binder into five sections — notes, homework, handouts, tests and quizzes, and blank paper — and to use a hole puncher relentlessly, so that every sheet of school-related paper is put into its proper home.
Students must maintain a daily planner; they are required to number the order in which they want to do each day’s homework and draw a box next to each assignment, so it can be checked off when completed.
Homework must be done in a two-hour block in a quiet room, with absolutely no distractions: no instant messaging, no Internet, no music, no cellphone, no television.
It’s an interesting concept. I’ve honestly toyed with the idea of hiring an organizational specialist once I have my school. I figure they can help me set up initial filing and organizational systems necessary for running the organization. If I can’t find papers or have my documentation in order, I’m ineffective, and I can’t have that.
