Messy binders, missing assignments, failure to follow directions…
Are you concerned that your students are not demonstrating good work habits, time management and organizational skills? You’re not alone. Any middle school teacher knows there is a strong correlation between a student’s work habits, time management, and organizational skills and their performance in middle school. How many times has a bright middle level student with solid potential received a poor grade on a paper or assignment because it was turned in late, or been marked down a project because they didn’t follow directions? Recent reports show that many middle school students do not have the academic discipline they need to be on track for college
Many students underachieve in middle school because they lack basic organizational skills. It’s no surprise. They’re young and inexperienced, and there’s a lot coming at them at a fast pace. Most have left the comfort of their elementary school having little, if any, training in the kinds of skills they need for success in middle school. Without good basic organizational skills, middle school students often become overwhelmed, and can begin a downward spiral of underachievement that can last into the high school years and beyond. Fortunately, good work habits, time management, and organizational skills can be taught.
Tween Publishing’s The Middle School Student’s Guide to Ruling the World! provides 16 fun and classroom-ready lessons for learning practical skills and strategies for good work habits, time management, and organizational skills. Ideally, young students should master organizational skills before moving on to study skills, which are skill and strategies for the acquisition, retention, and demonstration of knowledge.