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Key organization of any hope is a task that you successful is component.
Whoa. That sentence was way unorganized. What we really mean is, "Organization is a key component of any task that you hope is successful." There. That wasn't too hard. And with our teaching guide, helping your students build strong organizational skills won't be too hard, either.
In this guide you will find
- scripted lesson plans for organizing students' lives at home, at school, and online.
- discussion questions about the challenges and benefits of organization. (The questions are even organized by subject.)
- an assignment directing students to develop an organizational plan for the business of their dreams.
With our students, you'll turn your guide into organizational masters. We trust that you're organized enough to figure out what that really means.
DAY 1: BEDROOM CRASHERS
Introduction
In this lesson students will transform their messy bedrooms into clutter-free zones for sleeping, studying, and socializing. They'll use the Keep It, Ditch It, Donate It, or Store It Somewhere Else method to create a reasonably clean and tidy space that might even end all the nagging from their parents.
Before you get started, here's a video you can show to your class.
Key Skills and Learning Objectives
- Clear the clutter from their rooms.
- Create zones for studying, sleeping, entertaining, and so on.
- Determine what supplies are needed for each zone.
Homework
- Yesterday: Since this is Day 1, there is no homework from the night before.
- Today: Everyone wins an organized living space without having to pay "the bank" or going to messy room jail in Bedroomopoly. Students will complete tasks like picking up clothes from the floor and throwing away trash as they work their way around the game board throughout the week. They'll sort and stash their stuff in different zones in their room to create a space that works for them.
BEDROOM CRASHERS GET IN THE ZONE
Materials Needed: Bedroom Crashers: Get in the Zone Handout; Bedroomopoly game board; small prizes (of your choosing)
Estimated Time to Complete: 50 minutes
Raise your hand if anyone at home has ever said these words or something similar to you:
You're room is a pigsty! [Show of hands.] You're such a slob! [Show of hands.] I don't care if it's your room, it's my house! [Show of hands.]
Raise your hand if you frequently argue with your parents or guardians about your messy room? How do you feel during or after these arguments? [Allow students to respond.]
Why is it so difficult for people to keep their rooms neat? [Solicit responses from several students.]
Why do you think it's important to keep your room neat? [Solicit responses from several students.]
How can keeping your bedroom neat help you be successful at school? [Solicit responses from several students.]
Today you're going to learn how to work with the space you have at home to make it work for you. The first step to creating an organized bedroom is to think about what you use it for other than sleeping. [Hand out the Bedroom Crashers: Get in the Zone sheet.]
Take a minute or two to fill out the first question—"What Do You Use Your Bedroom For?" [Wait one or two minutes.] What are some of the uses you listed for "Other"? [Allow students to share.]
Next, try to visualize the furniture and storage areas you have in your room. Use the "What's in There?" list in #2 and write down how many of each item you have.
Now you're going to use #3 to write down names for the different zones you want to create in your room. For example, if you play video games in your room, you'll want to create a gaming zone. If you use your room to do yoga or bicep curls, then consider setting up an exercise zone. You'll notice that a study/homework zone has already been added to the list. It's okay if you decide that your bedroom isn't the best place to do schoolwork, though.
After that, make a list of the supplies you'll need to make each zone functional. [Give students two to three minutes to fill out this section.]
Now turn your paper over. Use the "Get in the Zone" diagram to plan out the different spaces in your bedroom. List whatever furniture and/or supplies you already have that can be used in each zone as well as what you might need to make it work.
Remember one thing: You might think you need a 50-inch flat screen T.V. for your Entertaining Friends Zone, but what you want isn't always what you need.
HOMEWORK
How many of you have played Monopoly™? [Wait for a show of hands.] Well, tonight you're going to start playing a brand-new board game called Bedroomopoly. You'll work your way around the game board a few spaces at a time until your bedroom is organized the way you want it to be. You'll have until ________ [insert day of the week] to complete the game and prizes will be awarded to those who finish on time. [Hand out Bedroomopoly board.]
Here's how it works. Find the "GO" space and tonight start with the task in that box. Then move clockwise around the game board. Place a checkmark in each box after you complete the assigned task. [If you're working with young students, you might want them to have a parent/guardian initial each box instead.]
Pace yourself here. If you try to accomplish everything on the game board in one or two nights, it's going to feel overwhelming and you may give up before you reach your goal.
At the end of the week, bring in the game board as well as some "before" and "after" photos. You won't have to share the photos with the class if you don't want to—it's fine if you only want me to see them—but I do want you to have some visual way to appreciate the changes you make.
DISCUSSION AND ESSAY QUESTIONS
- What kind of problems does having a messy room cause you?
- What are three things you could do to make cleaning your room more fun?
- Your room is such a mess that just thinking about cleaning it sets off a full-blown panic attack. What are three strategies you could use to help you get a handle on getting started?
- What are three ways you could organize the clothes in your closet for easy retrieval? (Hiring a professional organizer doesn't count.)
- What strategies could you use to organize the clothes in your dresser so that you can find what you need more easily?
- What things in your room could be stored in the space under your bed? Explain why you chose these items.
- What are two or three things you spend a lot of time looking for in your bedroom in the morning as you're getting ready for school? Come up with a plan for organizing these things so you can easily find them when you need them.
- How can having an organized bedroom help you get along better with others?
- How can having an organized bedroom at home help you be academically successful at school?
- Describe your idea of the perfect bedroom. What parts of it could you realistically create in your own room without spending more than $25?
