Students

---

 

Students have so much to remember, both in school and at home. They need helpful, personalized systems for organizing their materials, papers, time, and space to guide them to become their own personal best. Being organized can help students:

• Increase their confidence levels
• Increase their general sense of self-esteem
• Improve their grades
• Find items at a moments’ notice
• And so much more!

One of the first things I do is get to know them. I take time to initially discuss with you and your child about what organizing concerns or challenges they have. I ask questions, determine what current organization structures they have as well as those they lack, and work out a plan with you and your child on how to increase their sense of organization for the long term.

I enjoy working with students of all ages, from Kindergarten through High School.

As with residential organizing, this depends on many factors. One factor is the level of disorganization the child may face. Sometimes the solution is simply a change in a child’s storage of materials (a different filing system for papers, for example). Other times, the challenge is multi-faceted, and will involve many sessions. Determining the number of sessions usually is something that comes from identifying at each session what improvements have been made, and what the student needs to do yet to become their most organized.

I charge by the hour. Keeping in mind students’ attention spans, I usually schedule one-hour sessions for students. This time frame is usually a productive amount of time to make progress and keep the session positive. For older students, longer sessions are sometimes just fine.

The first thing to do is reassure them that this is a wonderful opportunity for some guidance and support in an area of need. Many times, students feel embarrassed about their lack of organization, and feel unsure about someone coming to help out. It’s very important to set them at ease and to let them know that just like adults who call on someone to help them out with their own concerns or challenges, this too is a time to discover what is already working with organizing, and what needs some improvement. At all times, I work with students in a calm, caring manner, and always look for the positives! Many times, lots of things are already going well for the student in terms of organization, but one or more aspects may need tweaking or slight changes.

I work hard to customize sessions based on the individual needs of your child. Using information from our Phone Consultation and the Student Needs Assessment, I work alongside your child to determine systems for planning materials, paperwork, time, and space. Depending on which of these four areas your child needs the most help, I use this time to address them one at a time. For example, if your child has trouble with time management, and this seems to be the main concern, then that is where we will begin. The most important aspect of my sessions with your child is listening to their main concerns and working with them to truly customize a personal plan for success.

Yes and no. The organizing session is somewhat like tutoring, since I work one-on-one with your child in your home and work for a period of time during a session, as with tutoring. It also involves listening to concerns and challenges, and working alongside them to help promote improvement in an area involving school. However, it is not “tutoring” in the sense that we are not focusing on individual content areas, like math, reading, or other subject areas. The main objective of organizing sessions with students is to guide students to improve organization in the area(s) of materials, papers, space, or time.

Yes. Many times, it is advantageous to set up a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or a yearly plan to ensure that your child is implementing strategies for organizational success. Most students need ongoing assistance with organizing, and benefit from multiple sessions, rather than a one-time meeting. I can customize a package or “maintenance” plan for your child so that we meet on a regular basis. Knowing ahead of time that someone is going to be there to assist with organizational challenges is a very positive experience. Small steps very often build on other steps to guide students to becoming their most organized, which makes for a happier, more productive student!

Yes! Many times, our one-on-one sessions will involve looking at your child’s study area, and determining what systems are in place and what needs improvement (for example, lighting, adequate space for studying, filing for paperwork, etc.) Often times, clients may also be interested in setting up organizing sessions in other areas of their home as well.

The first thing we will do is set up a FREE phone consultation at a convenient time for you. I’ll guide you through questions that will help identify the specific areas of concern for you and your child. We’ll talk a little about what is working and what’s not working in terms of organizing for school. My main goal here is to listen carefully to your thoughts and concerns. Our next step is to set up a Student Needs Assessment. During this time, I’ll have a chance to meet you and your child in your home to talk a bit more about challenges and concerns. I’ll take a look at what systems your child has in place for school (such as paper filing, how they organize their homework items, how they plan for assignments and other tasks, etc.). I charge a reasonable flat fee for the Student Needs Assessment.