1. How do you get organized?
You just have to
S.T.A.R.T.

2. “S” is for SORT
Sort means to put things together that belong together. Organizers say put “like” with “like”. So all math papers go together, put all ELA papers together, all Social Studies, pencils, etc.
Make a pile of all the loose papers that you have that are not in their right homes (you know the ones stuffed inside your notebooks, backpack and agenda).
Now, one by one, go through them and sort them into appropriate piles…math, ELA, Science, etc.

3. “T” is for TOSS
Toss means recycle or trash whatever you do not need. If there are papers from earlier units, do not throw them out. Collect them and save them for midterms and finals.
You can use this same process for your backpack and toss anything that does not belong in there. Watch for old food especially.

4. “A” is for ASSIGN A HOME
Assign a home for those piles. Where will the math papers go and in what order? ELA papers might include vocabulary, literature notes and essays, decide where each will go. If you do not think you will need them (that means you have been told that the unit is finished) you may make a pile that will be “filed” for later use.

5. “R” is for RESTRAIN
Restrain means to lock up or put away (kind of like putting your papers in the notebook “jail”). In this case you want to restrain them to their appropriate places. Pens and pencils to a pencil case or those pen holders inside your backpack, books to the big pocket, papers to their appropriate subject notebook. You get the idea. Put it where it is no longer loose and could get misplaced and lost. Got lots of little things on the bottom of the backpack? Put them together in an old pencil case and clip it to the key ring and stop digging. Restrain your calculator to it’s own pocket and find it quickly and easily.

6. “T” is for TAKE BACK CONTROL
Take back control of your life and your grades by organizing your backpack, all your papers and updating your agenda every week. Sundays work well for cleaning out and organizing your school stuff so that you start the week off organized and in control, but any day will work as long as you do it EVERY week.
What would being organized do for you?

7. Then isn’t it time for you to S. T. A. R. T
Then isn’t it time for you to S.T.A.R.T.? Sort Toss Assign a home Restrain Take back control

8. So, how do you get organized?
Today’s lesson
If you did not organize your papers while you were following along with this PowerPoint, then now is the time to go through each step again with your papers.
Once ALL your papers are organized, you’ll see how easy it is to find what you need. I would suggest you do this every week to keep them under control.
So, how do you get organized?
You just have to S.T.A.R.T.