Oookay, let’s be honest: Kids are generally a mess when it comes to organization. Even most adults struggle with it! Organization a skill and a mindset that has to be taught and practiced.
When I decided to go back to work fall of 2022, I noticed that my students struggled mightily with organization. I would instruct them to retrieve a book from their desk, and it would either take them a very long time to find it or it would be “lost”. They could never find what they needed when they needed it. This would inevitably end up with students interrupting my instruction because they needed help finding something. After being frustrated with this cycle for a few weeks, I tried to think of a solution. I remembered being in primary school having, you guessed it, a Desk Fairy! Elementary school me never knew when the desk fairy would visit, so I always had to have my desk in order. This was very motivating for me and my classmates, so I decided to try it with my own students!
Organizing Their Desks
This article, along with many other articles on Smells Like Teach Spirit, contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through the links I earn a small commission. Clicking these links does not cost you anything extra but it does help with the cost of running this website and it helps keep great articles and freebies coming your way. Thank you!
First, I had my students take everything out of their desks and place their items on top.
Second, I instructed them to throw away any loose papers.
Third, I had them divide their desk into two parts: the left side and the right side. I clearly stated which items belonged on the left and which items belonged on the right.
Fourth, I made a desk diagram on the board and went reviewed it with the students repeatedly. You can see this diagram below:
Fifth, I gave each student a Seat Sack to put on the back of their chair. This is where they stored their iPad, headphones, and a few other items.
Now that everything had a place, there was no excuse for not finding what they needed right away.
Sixth, I introduced the students to the concept of the desk fairy. Boy, did this get them excited! This was exactly the motivation they needed to maintain a clean desk. The anticipation for the fairy’s first visit kept them on the edge of their seat.
Materials for the Desk Fairy
A few days later I purchased a “fairy door” and put it on the wall in the back of the classroom. I also found a free sign that read “the Desk Fairy is watching”, and placed it by the fairy door. If the kids didn’t believe in the Desk Fairy before, they certainly did now!
The Desk Fairy Paid Us A Visit
Soon enough, the Desk Fairy paid the students a visit. I purchased notes from the Desk Fairy on Teachers Pay Teachers and I printed them on Astrobright Colored Paper. The Desk Fairy inspected my student’s desks and determined which one was the cleanest. She left a note for them along with a small prize. When the students noticed the visit upon returning from recess they were ecstatic. Even better, they wanted to know what they had to do to get a prize. I told them that it was simple: “Keep your desk neat and organized”.
Success!
I’m happy to sat that today, my first graders are able to maintain tidy desks! With a visual tool (my diagram) and the right motivation (the desk fairy), we’re able to make this work.
Do you have any strategies that you use to help your students stay organized? Share them below!
Join Us!
Follow us on social media for more tips, tricks and resources for your students!
