Unclutter Your Desk with this Great Tip from Sandy LaBelle

If you’re tired of paper creep, the slow domination of your desk by student papers, then try this easy-to-implement, practical tip from Sandy LaBelle, author of Teaching Smarter:

Go vertical, she says.

“…take all the papers for a particular class, fold them in half the long way (like a hot dog bun) and put a rubber band around them.  Make sure the writing is facing out so it is easy to see which set of papers is which.  Then take a box and stand the rubber banded papers upright in the box.”

This simple change worked wonders in my own classroom.  Not only does it help keep my desk from being cluttered, but it also distinguishes student work from the other miscellaneous papers that pile up during the course of a week.  The banded stacks of paper are also much easier to carry back and forth from home.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.  For more great tips, visit the Teaching Smarter website.