On School Supplies & Locker Accessories
by April Welch, The Mental Clutter Coach
Hard to believe, I know.
It's August.
The Back to School Checklist are a plenty with supplies on sale everywhere. Ready or not, fall is approaching quicker than any of us are prepared for.
So how about a Back to School Checklist road map from the organizing pro in your life, to help navigate all those supply decisions? I thought you might appreciate that!
Where it's worth it to spend your pennies:
Binder
A good binder can make all the difference in the world, I only recommend one:
Avery EZD One Touch
No they don't pay me to say that. It REALLY is worth your investment.
I watch so many parents think they'll save money by purchasing the less expensive binder. Yet they end up spending so much more by the end of a school year through several purchases of less expensive binders, last minute runs to the store (eating up precious time) and we won't even talk about the cost of fuel these days!
In all the years I've done the Middle School Organizing Curriculum I've only seen 1 child come close to ruining one of these binders, and he was trying.
Backpack
Looking for a 'bag' that needs to be stylish, affordable AND durable is a tall order.
I tend to recommend a Timbuk2 backpack, but as trends change so do their offering.
Here's the checklist that helped them make the cut:
- Science, padding and support in all the right spots
- make a company prove they deserve to be on your student's back
- Durability
- the material should last more than a semester {our Timbuk2 backpacks have been in use every school day for 5 years}
- Lack of pockets
- too many places to put things can cause more lost items than you may realize
- Bucket style
- the opening of a backpack can make or break whether a student will actually use it long term, a bucket style allows for the hasty transitions to go a little more smoothly
Pocket Dividers
All binders work more efficiently with dividers and using plastic ones with "pockets" allows the dividers to become an in-box for running between classes.
Retractable Pens
From the standard ball point pen to the highlighters & Sharpie's students need these days choosing retractable pens has two benefits
- less to loose - no cap to misplace
- less steps to use - one click and they're ready to go
Mechanical Pencils
I'm a huge advocate of mechanical pencils. Mainly from a productivity stand point. If you can eliminate the pencil sharpening line you've just saved time and enhanced the ability to focus.
Pencil Pouch
Ah, the big pencil pouch debate. Kids who struggle with organization as a whole will struggle with using a pencil pouch. Why? Because they do. One theory I have is the amount of steps involved in physically using a pencil pouch: 
- Find binder
- Open binder
- Unzip pouch
- Dig to find needed tool
- Set said tool to the side
- Shove everything else back in pouch
- Zip pouch
- Re-arrange binder so it will shut
- Shut binder
- Put away binder
- Find needed tool (which has probably rolled on the floor by now)
- Get back to work
Yes, there really are that many steps. I've counted. And I left out the steps to be repeated if the tool is not recovered from the floor to which it has fallen on.
The answer? Trust me, the 6th grade teaching team I work with is waiting for that same information. I have pictured the pouch I'm recommending for this school year, we'll see how it goes.
How to view products from a child’s organizational eye
Just like the pencil pouch example (12 steps to use it!), each product purchased can be put through a use-checklist. For every "thing" you do, consider it a step and count it off.
Example:
Putting a document in a binder
- Locate binder
- Place binder on a surface
- Open cover of binder
- Use dividers to select location for document
- (fight with rings if they have mis-aligned)
- Use two hands to open binder (this is one of the reasons why I recommend the one-touch)
- Weed document onto rings
- Close rings
- Re-adjust papers & dividers
- Shut binder
And that's the steps if everything goes well!
Try not to be sold on the trends before you consider a product's functionality. Will your student actually be able to use the product? Or will it get kicked to the side like so many other items in the past? And why weren't those used? Were they a poor match for the way the student interacts within their educational environment? Were they purchased for the student, or did the student choose the item? Was it simply a bad design?
Evaluate the habits that have come before as you head out to purchase new items for this academic year.
Locker accessories … myth or fact
Myths:
"This will solve all of my student's organizational problems!"
"I wish I had all these organizing aids when I was in school, I'm buying everything available!"
"If these accessories don't help then nothing will!"
Facts:
Locker accessories have a time and a place. The middle school I work with has lockers that truly need shelves. Many of the students I work with benefit from the magnetic pencil cups and plenty of the girls appreciate the magnetic mirror. Yet there are tons of students that could care less.
Listen to what your student asks for, take a look at their locker when you visit for back to school night and most importantly accept them for their own quirks.
The worse thing I've seen parents do to their student is judge them. If a student is brave enough to open their locker for you, do your best not to react. Ask questions like "what is working?" (without any snark), "is there anything I can do to help you?" (like hold the backpack while they fill it up on a Friday so they can go through things over the weekend). No matter the solution, make sure it's their idea - not yours.
Measure the locker before you purchase accessories. There is nothing worse than issues with the accessories.
I hope this helps you find a starting point on that back to school checklist road map! Next week we'll go over Morning Routines, in the meantime head on over to the Volunteer Spot Facebook Page and share...
What's on your Back to School Checklist?
April is a Mental Clutter Expert | Mom of 2 boys | Wife to 1 Fireman | Horrible Cook | Loyal Friend | National Public Speaker who gives you permission to be imperfect.
Shara of MommyPerks.com
