Homework, paper work and deadlines can become overwhelming, especially when you’re a student with multiple classes to study for.
Everything from extra curricular activities and social activities can get in the way of your student’s studies, and many find that staying on top of their work is one of the most difficult (and often frustrating!) parts of education.
If you find the pupils in your class in a similar situation and struggling with some basic organisational skills, we have tips that can help make their school-life a whole lot easier.
To-Do Lists
If you’re suffering with proritising the tasks that need doing (or just are over faced with the amount of things you think you need to do!), creating a to-do list is an excellent idea.
Ask students to create a list of tasks that need completing. Recommend two lists; one with tasks that don’t have a certain timescale and another with things that need to be completed by the end of the day.
The key to a great to-do list is practicality. Advise students not to add pieces of work that are physically un-completeable by the end of the day as it can leave them feel unmotivated. Instead, encourage pupils to add realistic tasks and cross them off once completed.
It can give any person a real sense of accomplishment when a task is ticked off the list; which in turn can help boost confidence, productivity and students’ general mood towards their education!
Keep a Planner
Schools have been advising students to keep planners for what seems like decades, but many children don’t know why it’s actually useful.
A good old-fashioned diary that can hold important dates, deadlines and events is ideal for students with both a hectic home and school-life schedule.
Portable paper diaries can be thrown into a pupil’s school bag and are ideal for planning in advance; but large planners that have week-views can help to avoid last minute rushes.
We have a range of printed whiteboards that can help students when creating a planner and their erasable properties ensure that paper is not being wasted.
These kinds of planners are ideal for both classroom and home use. Hanging them on the wall of your classroom gives children the chance to have a quick browse of upcoming deadlines for the week, encouraging independence and personal organisation skills.
Store Things Properly
Storing paperwork properly is key to an organised education as there’s nothing worse than forgetting or loosing essential pieces of paper.
Encourage your students to store and organise their loose items and belongings in storage units at school, this organised approach will help to declutter their mind so that they can focus on their preparation for upcoming exam or homework deadlines.
Using educational equipment like tray storage and corner storage can help to organise your student’s work in lever arch/pocket files, and appropriately labelling each file can help them know where their work is at all times.
This is also great for helping teachers stay organised as homework will be stored in places you are familiar with, eliminating the need for hundreds of files per pupil!
Prepare
Remind students that similar to revising before a test is the best way for success; the best way to ensure you’re fully organised is to prepare beforehand.
Rushing around in the morning trying to grab all of the things you need for school is common for students of all ages, and it’s almost inevitable that they’ll forget something important.
Before your pupils go to bed, encourage them to make sure all of their items are prepared and ready for the morning. Bags, clothing and homework all apply, and it can help students feel calmer and ready for learning.
