1. ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS BOOT CAMP
We welcome you to another Parent Forum brought to you by the counselors of the middle schools in Allen. We hope the information you hear tonight will be helpful in your attempt to help your children get and stay organized.

2. WHAT IS BOOT CAMP. http://www. youtube. com/watch

3. SOUND FAMILIAR?
“ I KNOW MY HOMEWORK IS IN HERE SOMEWHERE. CAN I GIVE IT TO YOU LATER?”
“I NEED TO LOOK IN MY BOOKBAG TO GET MY NOTEBOOK.”
“MOM, I NEED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND GET MY HOMEWORK.”
“YOU HAD THREE WEEKS TO COMPLETE THAT ASSIGNMENT. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?”
Are these statements you or teachers hear from your students. Or do you ever make the last statement yourself?

4. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ORGANIZATION
BRAIN DEVELOPMENT— Adolescence is a period of extensive brain development. Pruning, rewiring, and reorganizing.
MODELING—Monkey see, monkey do. Students learn from important adults—especially their parents.
TIME DEMAND—Students spend average 35 hours a week at school. Plus homework. Full-time employees.
Organization issues would be easy to fix if there were one factor we could attribute to the problem. Multitude of potential contributing factors. Read from slides.

5. MORE FACTORS SOMATIC FACTORS—Physical, mental, learning disabilities.
CULTURAL INFLUENCES—American students are dominated by clutter. I phone, Ipod, Ipad, kindles, X-box,Nintendo DS.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE—Transitioning. Kindergarten, Middle School, High School, Real World. Physical transitioning in school.
Factors caused by the physical body.
American students live in a world that can be counterproductive to the education process.
The structure of the school can greatly affect student organization. Transitioning of grade levels, physical changes during the school day—changing classes, lockers and multiple teachers.

6. WHY TEACH ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS?
67% OF HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS SURVEYED VIEWED ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS AS “CRUCIAL FOR STUDENT SUCCESS.”
DISORGANIZED STUDENTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO RECEIVE LOWER GRADES, COMPLETE FEWER ASSIGNMENTS, BE LESS MOTIVATED, EXPERIENCE GREATER FRUSTRATION, AND HAVE POORER SELF-ESTEEM.
POST-SECONDARY LIFE REQUIRES GOOD ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS.
READ FROM SLIDE

7. THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
MANY INTELLIGENT, HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS STRUGGLE WITH ORGANIZATION.
CHANGE DOES NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
PATIENCE IS A MUST.
WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HELP ALL STUDENTS.
READ FROM SLIDE

8. How organized are you? How organized are you?
At this point, 2 parents will be asked to draw a simple drawing of their bedroom to gain valuable insight about self-organization. Take about 3 minutes. Then ask them the following slide questions. “Wing it”.

9. ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS SURVEY
How is the diagram of your bedroom similar to your organization at school?
Are they the same or different?
Does your bedroom organization system help or cause you problems?
Skills Survey
Develop 3 goals for themselves
In the classroom, students will be asked to do this same exercise and the same questions after drawing their bedroom. Then the organizational skills survey will be administered.

11. ARE YOU KEEPING TRACK OF ASSIGNMENTS?
AGENDA BOOK
Show agenda books from other schools.
Agenda books are used in all classes. Students are required to write in them every day.

12. ASSIGNMENTS
Failing grades seem to be a result of missing and/or late work.
Not a direct result of low ability.
Failure to turn in assignments can cause underachievement in school.
Using planners properly can prepare students to complete their homework.

14. KEEPING BINDERS, DESKS AND BOOK BAGS ORGANIZED
Does your student’s desk and/or book bag or back pack look like this?

15. BOOKBAGS, BINDERS, AND OTHER THINGS
Landslide of late homework, smelly gym clothes, half-eaten lunches, hair spray, and perfume.
Organized chaos only works for a few people.
Rules of “in with the new and out with the old”.
No lockers this year at any middle school. So now all the “stuff” goes into their book bag or back pack. We’ve seen just about everything get pulled out of book bags while student is searching for his math homework.

17. What is Your Time Worth? Bring necessary supplies to class.
Develop strategies for getting work and materials home and then back to school.
Small amounts of time out of class add up to a large amount of lost instruction.
Forgotten pencils, books and homework can significantly affect what a student is able to get out of class. We will teach ways to-- Read from Slide.

19. CREATING A PRODUCTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT
Does your student have a work space at home. Does it look like this? Or this?
THIS?
OR THIS?

20. HOME WORKSPACE Reduce distractions and disruptions.
Create positive learning environment.
Successful homework completion
Open communication with parents
Read from slide

22. School-Home Plan Review daily planner at the end of each day.
What time does building close (just in case you need to return to school).
Classmate’s phone number
Pack book bag every evening before bed and place in a common location.
Lunch money, gym clothes, homework, etc.
Check with parent each morning before leaving home.
Transitioning between classes and home. Parents are a valuable asset to this part of the plan.

24. GRADUATION AND INSPECTIONS
Stripes Graduation Video
Goals: Complete Survey (yes, again- to show your improvement !)
Inspections: Agenda & back packs
Presentations
Celebration at the end of training. Throughout year surprise inspections. Most important factor reward or reteach.

25. Celebration of students’ hard work
Rewards for students’ time and effort in improving their organization skills.
Surprise inspections throughout the remainder of the school year.
Reward or Reteach

26. IMPROVEMENT
“Where would you like me to turn in my homework? I got it done last night.”
“Can I turn my project in early? I knew I would be busy this week so I got it done over the weekend.”
“Mom, I remembered to bring my math homework home tonight so you could help me.”
And we anticipate these statements as opposed to the ones from the beginning of the program.