Organizing for School Success

Searching for that shoe or book that mysteriously goes missing.

Discovering a child can’t find the supplies to complete an art or science project the night before it’s due.

Those aggravations can be reduced with organization, according to Cleveland native Sandi Einstein, whose now-San Diego-based e=mc2 organizing and coaching consultants continues to virtually coach Northeast Ohio clients as well as individuals across the country. She advises taking these steps to ensure calmer school days.

Clean closets and drawers. Now is the perfect time to go through kids’ clothes, determine what still fits and what should be purchased, donated or pitched. Einstein equipped her school-age granddaughter’s closet with shelves where folded shirts are stacked by sleeve length and rolled leggings are grouped by cropped or full-length legs.

Create a dedicated workstation. Einstein notes that a child’s bedroom may not be the best place for it. “Younger kids usually like to be in the kitchen near their parents,” she says. She maintains a cart that can be wheeled to any spot in her home when she’s helping care for her granddaughter. The open shelves are stocked with supplies the child typically needs.

Set up an “action file.” It could be a decorative box, a slotted vertical file that sits on a desk, whatever works best, to keep study guides, homework assignments, current projects, etc. organized and within easy reach. Einstein notes that some children may benefit from printing out digital communications, assignments and study materials. “They have all these portals,” she observes. “And not everything is in the same place. So when they have to look at more than one place, it’s difficult.”

Get a calendar. “[Kids] have a calendar on their phones, but they don’t always look at it,” Einstein says. She likes the large month-bymonth calendars that double as a desktop blotter and/ or wall-hung erasable calendars. Younger children may need help maintaining it. “It takes some planning, and it takes some doing,” she acknowledges. “But those are the kind of life skills that prepare you for going off on your own.” — LT