Re: Staying organized at school

[Guest guest]

I'm new to the group (in fact, this is the first message I've seen from the

group). So, I don't know what or when the post was. However, I'm a school

teacher & at my school, we created a system similar to what you've described.

It's caught on so well that most of the building uses it now.

* It involves a zipper binder -you can get those on sale for about $10 right

now. 

* A color coded folder for each subject. These can be purchased real cheap

right now also. Make sure you don't get the ones with the brads. Many stores

only carry the colored folders with brads or plain. If this is the case, get the

plain & punch holes in them to make them fit into the zipper binder. To save

space in the binder, we only have 1 per subject. We have the students put the

turn in on the left & save on the right.

* If a subject needs a spiral, the spiral color matches the folder color

* If they have a book for any subjects that need to be covered, we have the

cover match the folder also. Maybe decorate it with shades of green for example.

* Most of these zipper binders have a built in place to store pens, pencils &

things like that. If yours doesn't, you can get a cheap zipper pouch to keep in

the binder for holding pens & pencils.

* We also have students keep an agenda in their binder so they can write down

any important things they need to remember.

* Since lockers are sometimes an issue, we have them write important

information about their locker in the agenda also.

I hope this helps some!

 

-cathy

________________________________

From: Caroline Glover <sfglover@...>

Sent: Wednesday, August 5, 2009 7:36:29 AM

Subject: Re: Re: Staying organized at school

HEEELLLLP!

My son is starting high school this year, and a while back (maybe a year or

more ago?), someone posted a system here that had been designed for their

child to help them stay organized at school. I thought it was fantastic

and now I have searched the archives and can¹t find it. I¹m

remembering that it involved having a binder containing different 2 folders

for each subject, with one folder being for homework that needed to be

turned in and one being for other papers.

Does anyone remember anything like that? Maybe I¹m not even remembering it

right but whatever it was I thought it would be a great help to my son.

I really wanted to use the system when my son got to high school and now I

can¹t find it!

Please help!

Caroline G.

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for. Here's a

binder called the Organized school binder

<http://www.oneplaceforspecialneeds.com/products/product_results.html?wo\

rds=binder & category=-1> . There's another one called the Homework

Organizer <http://www.homework-organizer.com/> .

This might help also. It's a link to over 40 articles

<http://www.oneplaceforspecialneeds.com/resources_online/resource_online\

_results.html?words=executive+functioning> regarding executive

functioning issues. It includes many studying and homework strategies

that might help your son stay on task.

>

> HEEELLLLP!

>

> My son is starting high school this year, and a while back (maybe a

year or

> more ago?), someone posted a system here that had been designed for

their

> child to help them stay organized at school. I thought it was

fantastic

> and now I have searched the archives and can¹t find it.

I¹m

> remembering that it involved having a binder containing different 2

folders

> for each subject, with one folder being for homework that needed to be

> turned in and one being for other papers.

>

> Does anyone remember anything like that? Maybe I¹m not even

remembering it

> right but whatever it was I thought it would be a great help to my

son.

>

> I really wanted to use the system when my son got to high school and

now I

> can¹t find it!

>

> Please help!

>

> Caroline G.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, Caroline,

Your title make me feel you were giving advice not asking at first.

just finished freshmen year, and he took classes, and go to cross country,

debate club, and track. He did well on his classes, and has been fairly

orginized.

He had a " Case It " profolio with two 3 rings, and a 3 holed holder for pens,

pencil, and calculator. I also bought him some plastic 2 pocket, 3 ringed folder

to hold his notes, and home work. Basic one folder per subject, left side of

pocket for notes, right side pocket for home work. He carry everything with a

giant big back pack. He did not use locker like most other kids. We do not have

problem of beening late for class, or not able to find his notes or home work.

HTH,

Jin

>

> HEEELLLLP!

>

> My son is starting high school this year, and a while back (maybe a year or

> more ago?), someone posted a system here that had been designed for their

> child to help them stay organized at school. I thought it was fantastic

> and now I have searched the archives and can¹t find it. I¹m

> remembering that it involved having a binder containing different 2 folders

> for each subject, with one folder being for homework that needed to be

> turned in and one being for other papers.

>

> Does anyone remember anything like that? Maybe I¹m not even remembering it

> right but whatever it was I thought it would be a great help to my son.

>

> I really wanted to use the system when my son got to high school and now I

> can¹t find it!

>

> Please help!

>

> Caroline G.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jin,

Thanks so much for your input. I agree that one folder for each class (one

side for homework, one side for notes, etc.) is the way to go. I wanted to

use that method for him in middle school but they had very rigid

requirements. Now that he¹s starting high school, I want to set him up with

a system he can use from now on. He has one binder for ³red day² and one

for ³blue days² (they have different classes on red and blue days). Each

binder has a different 2 colored pocket folder in it for each class, extra

paper and a zip pencil pocket with supplies. He¹s got a map of the school

(it¹s a big school) to put in the front of each binder with all of his class

locations marked and the stairwells color coded so that when he turns the

page to look at the second floor he can see quickly what stairwell is which

(there are stairs everywhere). He is legally blind so I want him to feel

that he has all of the info he needs in his binder. We did a walk through

of all of his classes with the map. We requested a good locker location for

him (last year the locker numbers were up high and he couldn¹t see them so

he had to count 11 lockers from the end every time). We could have put a

sticker on it to help him find it, but he didn¹t want to. His locker is

basically right inside the door when he gets off of the bus. I think he¹ll

want to use it because he takes his lunch every day and will have a heavy

coat in winter that he¹ll have to stow. The locker is a hang-up, though...

with his vision he sometimes needs several tries to open it. If we could

skip the locker it would be nice. I¹m wondering if it would have been

better to just have one binder, but I was afraid it would be too bulky, and

now that he¹s fixated on the set-up we made he probably won¹t want to

change.

It¹s wonderful to hear how well is doing. I know you¹ve worked hard to

help him get to this point. My son hasn¹t really been able to do

extracurricular activities because he takes so long doing his homework

(tedious focus) that it¹s about all he can manage, and there¹s also his

horrible fatigue. He did Tae Kwondo for a while, but it was just too much

for him to keep up with that and the schoolwork. He did some nice things

this summer, though... scout camp and a robotics class, swimming lessons,

etc. He did make it into National Junior Honor Society in middle school,

which was a thrill for him. He also completed the K-8 gifted program (he

was pulled out in kindergarten and sent to a different public school for

it). That was good to see because we were told by the experts at the

biggest children¹s hospital in our state that he wouldn¹t be able to make it

past 3rd grade in that program. It was lovely to see him prove them wrong.

I hope has a great year!

Caroline G.

[Guest guest]

Hi, Caroline,

It is great to hear that your son doing well. I remember simular comments from

3rd grade teacher, that did not need to take most challenge classes

when he gets to 7th grade on because he would not able to do it. At end of 8th

grade, his math teacher told us not to let him take Geomerty. Well, he has been

prove them all wrong.

High school seems a lot better than Jr High.

Every one was very worry about high school ( a big neally 4,000 kids school)

transition, but he end up exceed every one's expactation. Matureity helps.

THe portfolio I talk about come with 2 3 rings, and can be zip closed

It is big enough to hold folders for all subject and extra paper.

I like the portfolia beacuse he can carry it by itself, not worry about puting

it back to back pack all the time.

As for lunch, he always carry it with him. He was able to stow his coat, and

boots at his home room (a room for his special ed kids class), you may want to

give a try if the locker turn out to be too much to fiddle with.

know he needs to exercise, and work on his language skill, with my bribe

every month, he was able to go to all those activities. He always one of the

slowest kids in the meet, but they are no drop teams, so is able to get his

exercise, and interaction he need. He even able to work on home work, if he is

waiting. If your school has no drop team, it may be a idea to ask your son to

give a try.

He did not do anything in Jr. High, but in high school for some reason, he was

able to go to all this extracurricular activities, and still getting very good

grade. He told me he did not think freshman year was too hard. The coming year,

he will take 2 AP classes on science and europen history, I will see how it work

out for him.

Hyper and fatigue is no longer a problem this year. How ever, I do feel he still

a little slow. It could be just what he used to been slow. But it will be nice

to have a little more of desire to do things, and spead up some.

You have a good year too,

Jin

>

> Hi Jin,

>

> Thanks so much for your input. I agree that one folder for each class (one

> side for homework, one side for notes, etc.) is the way to go. I wanted to

> use that method for him in middle school but they had very rigid

> requirements. Now that he¹s starting high school, I want to set him up with

> a system he can use from now on. He has one binder for ³red day² and one

> for ³blue days² (they have different classes on red and blue days). Each

> binder has a different 2 colored pocket folder in it for each class, extra

> paper and a zip pencil pocket with supplies. He¹s got a map of the school

> (it¹s a big school) to put in the front of each binder with all of his class

> locations marked and the stairwells color coded so that when he turns the

> page to look at the second floor he can see quickly what stairwell is which

> (there are stairs everywhere). He is legally blind so I want him to feel

> that he has all of the info he needs in his binder. We did a walk through

> of all of his classes with the map. We requested a good locker location for

> him (last year the locker numbers were up high and he couldn¹t see them so

> he had to count 11 lockers from the end every time). We could have put a

> sticker on it to help him find it, but he didn¹t want to. His locker is

> basically right inside the door when he gets off of the bus. I think he¹ll

> want to use it because he takes his lunch every day and will have a heavy

> coat in winter that he¹ll have to stow. The locker is a hang-up, though...

> with his vision he sometimes needs several tries to open it. If we could

> skip the locker it would be nice. I¹m wondering if it would have been

> better to just have one binder, but I was afraid it would be too bulky, and

> now that he¹s fixated on the set-up we made he probably won¹t want to

> change.

>

> It¹s wonderful to hear how well is doing. I know you¹ve worked hard to

> help him get to this point. My son hasn¹t really been able to do

> extracurricular activities because he takes so long doing his homework

> (tedious focus) that it¹s about all he can manage, and there¹s also his

> horrible fatigue. He did Tae Kwondo for a while, but it was just too much

> for him to keep up with that and the schoolwork. He did some nice things

> this summer, though... scout camp and a robotics class, swimming lessons,

> etc. He did make it into National Junior Honor Society in middle school,

> which was a thrill for him. He also completed the K-8 gifted program (he

> was pulled out in kindergarten and sent to a different public school for

> it). That was good to see because we were told by the experts at the

> biggest children¹s hospital in our state that he wouldn¹t be able to make it

> past 3rd grade in that program. It was lovely to see him prove them wrong.

>

> I hope has a great year!

>

> Caroline G.

>

>

>

>

>

>