Quick Tips for Creating a Space that's Conducive to Studying

It's important to have an organized space where you can consistently complete your homework and studying. Having fewer distractions and knowing where to find necessary materials will help you to complete your work more quickly, and allow you to have time to do the things you want to do! Taking a few minutes to read through these simple tips might just put you on the path to a shorter and more efficient homework time!

I'm going to try to keep this post streamlined and organized, just like a study space should be...                                                                               

Workspace

• Have a set study space and storage space. 
• The storage space should ideally be in the study space, but it could also be a shelf or cabinet or bin in another room. 
• Keep your materials and textbooks in the same place all the time, when at home. Ideally, this place should be a specific location within your study space.

• If you split your time between two homes, or don't always have an opportunity to do your homework in the same place each day, create a "workspace bag/bin" that contains everything you'll need for a mobile workspace. 
• The bag or bin will keep everything together, and is easily portable. 
• Only take things out of the bag or bin when you're using them in that moment. Then, put the item back right away so you'll know where to find it when you need it next.



This is not so good...

• Keep this workspace bag/bin in one place (e.g. trunk of a car).

• Reduce clutter in your work area. 
• You should work on a clear, uncluttered surface. 
• After unpacking your bag, put one subject's materials on the surface at a time. Leave the other materials off the work surface, so you have reduced the "visual noise." 

• Adjust furniture to fit your needs.
• Sit in a comfortable chair (with armrests, if you're working at a computer), that allows you to maintain good posture: sitting up straight with your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest.
• When you're working on the computer, your eyes should be about 1.5 feet from the screen (about arms' length)
• The keyboard should be centered and on a stable surface
• The monitor should be about 5cm above eye level. 
• Zoom in on what you're looking at or working on, and adjust the settings so messages aren't popping up and you're not receiving notifications irrelevant to your task.

Routines

• Unpack everything from your backpack and file away old materials at a routine time. 



I'm pretty sure you don't want your work
area to end up looking like this.

• File old papers and tests. Don't throw away materials or past assessments unless your teacher says to; these materials may come in handy when you're preparing for mid-year or final exams.
• Use accordion folders, separate binders, or a giant binder with dividers to keep old work organized by subject and topic. Put these in your storage space so they're not cluttering up your work space, but they're still available for reference when needed.
• You could do this every day, at the end of every school week, or even on Sundays when you're preparing for another week at school. It doesn't really matter when; the important thing is that you do this at least 1-2 times per month, depending on how many papers you have in your binders or folders.  

• Set aside time at the beginning of each work session to review your planner and to check (using the classroom websites, if possible), that you know what you have to accomplish that night.
• Then, make a plan of approach: What will you start with? What will you do next? When, and for how long, will you take a break? Plan this out in writing, and stick to it.

Environment

• Reduce and/or remove distractors in your work area.



Look familiar? It does to me!

• Put your phone in a different room
• Keep the computer screen turned off unless you're using it for homework
• Pull down the shades/ blinds if you're facing a window
• Turn off the TV or music

• Make sure you have adequate lighting, so your eyes don't have to work as hard.

• Get some fresh air in the room if possible.

Good luck!

Starting the New School Year

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

(link to Bowie song)

Welcome to a new school year!

No matter which grade you're starting this year, or whether you're new to the school or a returning student, you're probably adjusting to some new things about your school day- the teachers, the classrooms, your classmates, your advisee group, your schedule...

Changes and transitions like this can be difficult, but the good thing is that you're not alone! Changes can be difficult for everyone, your teachers and parents included. Below are some tips for students AND parent, for adjusting to the new school year.

For students:

Get to know your teachers and advisor, and let them get to know you. 

-Ask the adults at school questions, both in class and outside of class time. Your questions can be as simple as, "How was your weekend?" or it can be more focused on the content of the class.

- Tell your teachers what you like and don't like, what interests you, and what you're involved in outside of school. You may learn that you have some things in common!

-Tell your teachers what you're going to need from them in order to be successful. Tell them that you prefer to sit near the board, or that you sometimes have a difficult time listening, participating, and taking notes at the same time. Tell them if you do (or don't) like being asked to read aloud in class, or if you benefit from having all multi-step directions written down. Tell them what your learning preferences are, and if you think you are eligible for accommodations like extended time. Teachers want to help you, so they'll want to know this information about you!

Get started off on the right foot, organizationally.
-Take the time to label your books, notebooks, and binders. Put that loose leaf paper in each of your binders, and put the divider tabs in there too. Make sure you have enough pens and pencils in your pencil case. If you are missing any school materials, Mr. Lanagan's room in the Middle School is full of perfectly good donated/ recycled materials like binders, folders, paper, and notebooks!

-Set up a work space at home where you complete your homework every night. Make sure it has some extra school supplies like paper, writing utensils, and maybe your laptop charger. Doing homework in the same place each night can minimize the chances you'll forget something at home, or lose something that you need.

-As soon as you receive your planner, put your name on it and start to use it! (More on effectively using a planner later on)

-If you're a Middle School student, attend the September 22nd Snack and Study Session on Organizational Strategies! (Sign up outside of the MS HLC; space is limited to 15 students)

Ask questions when you have them!
-Your teachers, advisor, coaches, and other adults in the school building all want to help you figure out what's happening, what's expected of you, and how you can be successful. Just ask someone for some help if you need it!








For parents:

Get to know your child's teachers, and help them get to know your child.
- Learn the names of each of your child's teachers, and his or her advisor. Learn the best way to get in touch with them (i.e. email, phone call, written note).

- Encourage your child to talk with his or her teachers, and share what their home and life is like; do they split time between houses, or do their homework somewhere other than at home? Is there consistent internet access at home, or a printer? Are there outside activities or commitments your child has during the school week or on the weekends? Is there any medication your child is taking that may affect their behavior, performance, or attention in class? This is all helpful information for your child's teachers to know.

Be aware of teachers' expectations and how to access class resources.
- At the start of the year in Middle School, many students will come home with "expectations" sheets for their different classes. These handouts may need to be signed, or maybe they don't, but in either case it will be valuable for you to read through the papers with your student so that you're aware of the different expectations of different classes and teachers.

- Many, if not most, teachers will use a website to disseminate information such as homework assignments, due dates, assessment dates, etc. However, the website or platform used by each teacher could be slightly different. Ask your student to show you how to access each of their classes' websites; if your student can't show you where he or she can find homework assignments or handouts/PDFs, then prompt your child to meet with that teacher immediately in order to figure out how to navigate the online aspect of the class.

- Starting in Middle School, students should be mostly advocating for themselves. Teachers do not want to field inquiries from parents about what the homework is, or what's on a test. Students at this age need to be learning how to ask these questions themselves, and how to problem-solve independently. This is not to say you can't help to problem-solve, but most of the communication with a teacher should be going through the student himself or herself. Role-playing what communication can look like between your student and his or her teacher, and prompting your student to troubleshoot situations (e.g. forgetting to write down a homework assignment, leaving needed materials at school, etc.) to practice these self-direction skills, will help your child to become a more independent and effective problem-solver.



Give it time!
- Everyone is a little nervous when starting a new school year, or when beginning at a new school- yes, teachers too. If there are some bumps in the road during the first few weeks of a new school year, that's normal. If you're trying to figure out how much independence and help to give your student with school work and other responsibilities, you're not alone. Kids, as well as teachers' expectations, change from year to year (and sometimes from day-to-day and class-to-class!), so we all need to be patient with one another, and give it time. I think we'll see that most kids will be able to handle increasing responsibility and independence, if we give them some room and some time to figure it all out.