TeacherLists Blog

How to Keep Your Students Organized


Seat Sack keep students organized

Keeping your students organized is a big part of helping them succeed. There are many benefits that come with staying organized, including improved time management, creativity, academic performance, and even mental health. Here’s how to equip your students with the tools they need to stay organized at school and at home.

 

Sponsored by:

 

Equip your students with a solution to organize their school materials

Teachers love Seat Sack®. The instant chair pocket storage system is designed for students and teachers alike to stay organized by providing a place to easily store books, papers, school supplies, and so much more! By sliding it on the back of their chairs, Seat Sack saves space and creates an instant pocket for storing school materials. Students have easy access to materials right at their seat. Seat Sacks also help to create more desk or table space where students can quickly locate their items.

 

Model how students can organize school materials

Whether they want to organize their school supplies by color, size, or subject, show them all the ways they can stay organized so they can find the system that best works for them. Use color-coded folders, labeled binders, and designated spots for each item. Create a visual guide or chart showing an example of a well-organized desk and Seat Sack. Walk students through organizing their materials; for example, demonstrate sorting papers into folders, arranging books by size or subject, and using pencil pouches for writing instruments.

 

Practice putting materials away

Break it down into easy steps. Using your visual example, remind your students what makes a tidy desk. Then, have students verbally walk through putting materials away. Finally, since students learn by doing, take time to practice how their school materials should be put away. You can make this fun in a variety of ways, like playing a 2-minute song they enjoy and telling them their desks should be organized by the end or making up a rhyme to recite while putting supplies away.

 

Provide clean space incentives

Students respond well to incentives. When students keep their spaces clean, they can collect points to redeem for fun prizes like scented markers, modeling clay, and more! You can even up the stakes by making it a collective effortif everyone’s desks stay organized for a determined amount of time, they’ll earn a pizza party or movie day!

 

Use a daily organization checklist

Make a checklist for your students to follow as they come into the classroom. Before class starts, take a walk around the room to make sure students are organized as they should be. When you sign off on their checklist, they’re ready to start the day!


Originally posted 2024




Monthly tips, ideas, giveaways, and help.












Wanna say something?





 

123 Comments for How to Keep Your Students Organized

Lourdes Mendoza

Staying organize is important to the classroom environment as everyone can learn to be responsible for all their items and stay organize.

Deirdre Hansen

SeatSacks really are the ultimate way to not only organize materials, but also to teach students about responsibility. It also happens to de-clutter and save space!!

Julie White

I have a set of these and they are amazing!! However, mine fit larger chairs. I switched to 1st grade so now I’ll need smaller ones.

Alyssa Hun

One way I keep my students organized is a weekly desk clean out! They also have desk caddies, but seat sacks would be super helpful for some of that folder over flow.

Nicole Rose

I keep my students organized by color coding my tables and having supplies ready for them in tubs that match their table color.

Suzanne

I have been helping my students stay organized by having a place for everything and labeling it with a picture and the name of the item. If I have supplies that I would like them to have personally and to keep with them not only do I label what it is, but I also put their name on it. We spend the first week learning where to put things, where things are located, and the correct way to clean up after using.

Jodi

I have been using seat sacks for over 10 years in my classroom. They are a game changer in helping keep my students organized!

Joshua

I love using a mnemonic device to help my students stay organized. At the end of the day we do a “0, 1, 2, 3, 4” Clean Up. Each number has a hand action to to help them remember a part of the clean up (for example, 3 fingers looks like a W to remind the students to wipe their desk).

Lois Scott

I love to keep things as organized as possible

Lourdes Mendoza

A great way to keep class materials organize.

Snowden Kent

I have been using seat sacks since I started teaching and it was the best decision I ever made! It’s so much easier for students to pull out their work whether it’s folders, books, etc. The extra storage is so beneficial and they love having them on their chairs!

Terra Hammonds

I love the chair pockets and they keep the students organized.

Justina

Seat sacks and table caddies are a great way to keep students and classrooms organized. I have a rolling caddy for each table that houses their art essentials (markers, crayons, glue, etc.), books for students to read in their downtime, and their headphones for their devices. This helps keep things tidy in my room!

Mary Frye

I haven’t used Seat Sacks in the past. This would solve student organization issues with pencils, highlighters, and even their media center badges. These would be so beneficial in the classroom.

Jessica Fair

Thanks so much for this opportunity! I love these ideas, I currently try to keep my students organized by creating an anchor chart to show them how to store their belongings. Even though they try, it’s hard to fit everything we need in our desks.

Melissa Vagnozzi

One incentive I use is the “desk fairy” which is like the tooth fairy. She comes to clean student desks and leaves a note & a small treat. The catch is you never know when she’s going to come so you always have to be ready!

Kelli

Keeping little ones organized is difficult, but modeling and repetition is helpful. I love the idea of seat sacks, other models are not worth it. They don’t hold up.

Ashley Allen

I would love to win these seats sacks!

Rachael

I keep my students crayons in. Dollar snap container then inside their color box so they don’t spill on the floor as often, taking up instructional time.

Emily Neyer

I use tubs for organizing books and folders and notebooks. Then my students keep their school boxes and pencil pouches in a basket for each table. We use a red folder for writing.

Diamond Yates

I like to keep my students organized by giving them their own cubby. It houses their domain folders, computer, whiteboard, pencil box, and more. I teach them how to maintain all of this things at the beginning of the year. By the end of year, my kindergarten students know how to use organizational materials that will be important in upper grades!

Madeline McGuire

The desk/cubby fairy visits our classroom regularly! Students with clean desks or cubbies receive fairy dust and a small prize! They love it!

Heather Carter

Seat sacks look like a great way to keep my kinders organized! I would love them!

Allison Bell

I strive to teach my Kindergarten students to be organized because when they go into 1st grade, they’ll have desks, and keeping those organized is a challenge in itself to most students. In my classroom, we use color coded folders for our ABC writing, number book, and centers folders. Student supplies, such as pencils/scissors/glue sticks and crayon boxes (each student) are kept at their table in a caddy. Teaching them how to be organized can help students ability to focus and learn in the classroom.

Claudia Hilmer

Seat sacks are space saving and make the most sense!

Claudia Hilmer

Teacher’s lives would be so much easier if principals all provided seat sacks!

Hannah Morrissey

We LOVE keeping our class organized!

Madelin Krecidlo

I use a desk fairy to help entice my students to keep their desks clean. She randomly comes and leaves a cute note and a sweet treat to students who have a nice clean desk. I like this because it’s a positive reinforcement tool!

Elida Lozano

I teach first grade and I usually spend about 3 weeks establishing rules and procedures, everything from lining up to go to recess to using your glues stick and putting it away The Seat Sacks are a dream!

Michele Rodriguez

I use small plastic baskets that fit right into students’ desks for pencils, erasers, glue sticks, scissors, highlighters, and crayons. This way they don’t get shoved to the back of their desk or constantly falling out onto the floor.

Sarah Gordon

I love to use the slides how format to show steps on how to organize. Unfortunately, we don’t have many students bringing in materials needed for organization so I have to purchase which has left me with no financial power to get an organizational system set up. This would benefit me and my Kindergarten students so much!

Argentina Dipre

Classroom organization is vital for creating a space where students can focus on learning without unnecessary distractions. Seat sacks contribute to this organization by providing each student with a designated area for their materials. Without seat sacks, students’ belongings often clutter their desks or the classroom floor, creating chaos and making it difficult for them to find what they need. With a seat sack, however, each student has a personal space to keep their items, leading to a tidier, more orderly classroom. This organization not only makes the classroom visually appealing but also reduces stress and distractions for both students and teachers.

Argentina Dipre

Classroom organization is vital for creating a space where students can focus on learning without unnecessary distractions. Seat sacks contribute to this organization by providing each student with a designated area for their materials. Without seat sacks, students’ belongings often clutter their desks or the classroom floor, creating chaos and making it difficult for them to find what they need. With a seat sack, however, each student has a personal space to keep their items, leading to a tidier, more orderly classroom. This organization not only makes the classroom visually appealing but also reduces stress and distractions for both students and teachers.

Argentina Dipre

1. Daily Routines: Establish consistent daily routines for things like checking homework, organizing desks, and preparing materials. Routines help students know what to expect and what’s expected of them.

2. Use Labels: Label folders, notebooks, and bins for different subjects or activities. This makes it easy for students to find and store their materials in the right place.

3. Desk Clean-Up Time: Set aside a few minutes at the end of each day for students to tidy up their desks and personal spaces. This ensures that they start the next day organized.

4. Visual Aids: Use posters, charts, or visual reminders in the classroom to reinforce organizational skills. For example, a checklist for what students need to pack in their backpacks at the end of the day.

These tips are easy to implement and can make a big difference in helping students stay organized.

Bobbie Murphy

In my classroom students have a pencil bag for all pencils and crayons, and colored folder to keep needed work in. They place these items in a book bin. It would be so nice to have some of the most used items in a seat sack such as books!

Melissa Marinos

Love having an organized classroom. This helps with the flow of day and helps kids be easily independent as well as little helpers for you. I find clearly labeling with pictures and having them have easy access to certain things helps our class and students stay organized. As well as going over where everything is. The seat sacks are a great way for them to independently learn how to stay organized in their own space.

Stacey Patterson

Great ideas! I have my scholars use a safe folder to prevent the important papers we are still working on from getting misplaced in their desk. The seat sack would be a great addition and place for their safe folders.

Kelly King

This year I decided to do tables instead of desk for my first graders. I try to keep my classroom organized by color coding tables and color coding their center groups. They also have baskets in their cubbies for notebooks and such. With their centers they are also color coded with folders and a bin they take around to their centers. I have found that there is too much stuff on their tables because they have no where to store it for convenience. ( pencil boxes etc) I would love to add the seat pockets for more storage and organization to my classroom. This is my 2nd year teaching and this has been one top wish list to have.

Stephanie Gomez

Seat Sacks are on the best inventions ever! I would love to get some for my classroom. I love how it helps students keep their desks clean.

Sabena Arrington

I appreciate how this article lists the process for keeping our students organized and the direct effect it has on their learning. The process outlined here follows the “gradual release” model and I know that is effective for all students but especially for my 1st grade students. I also feel that is helps teacher stay organized.

Shamonica Mauldin

One way I help my students stay organized. This year I keep a basket inside each of thier cubbies that hold journals and books.

Dillion

I believe that organization is key to success. What a brillant idea to help build successful humans.

Barbara

I need these desperately!

Rosemary

Love these bags! I have similar ones in my class. Need new ones as the current ones are really old! Such a great tool for each student to store their school supplies!

Gerardo Figueroa

I am a firm believer that helping students be organized is a great way to help their education.

Rachel Meza

In my class we do a reset after every activity’s We don’t keep supplies at the tables and we turn in everything right away.

Alicia Hurst

I use checklists for my students to help them stay organized. Works great!

Tesa

I try my best to stay organized but seat sacks would help a lot. I am new to first grade and in kinder (where I was) we pulled the pages for kids and that was easier. Now the kids need there books and so I have the students help me pass them. I try to organize by table the best I can. Could really use these.

Karely M

I love learning about organization in my classroom. That’s an area I need to improve.

K Gonzalez

Great content for teachers. Can’t wait to incorporate more organization into my classroom this year

K Gonzalez

Great content for teachers.

Cheryl

I had chair pockets and loved them for 10 years until they wore out. My classroom is small with no storage space so these are great options.

Doreen

Love to stay organized!

Jessica

Seat sacks would be amazing to have in my kindergarten classroom! Would definitely need black though to hide the stains they would get ?

Peggy Crocker

Best way to help the Kinder and 1st graders keep the Seat Sack organized is with a visual of the Seat Sack and visuals showing the breakdown of how to organize it. Think of a Brace Map, but with PICTURES of exactly what goes where.
Game Changer!
Also, use the Desk Fairy to check up on some Seat Sacks! All it take is rewarding a few with a note and small prize attached and the rest eagerly tidy up so they might be next!
P.S. In Kindergarten with tables and no desks, we keep the heaviest items out of the Seat Sack by placing huge headphones and heavy plastic pencil boxes in a bin strapped to individual chair legs with rubber bands! Works like a charm and saves the Seat Sacks for the good stuff!
: O)
Peg

C. Schwab

Staying organized is vital to helping students stay on track and have less time wasted during transitions and activity changes. Chair bags are a great way to help students store and keep books/materials close by.

Jennifer Martinez

I think an organized space is essential for learning, I teach Pre-K and it is very easy for our space to get messy so being able to provide ways to avoid the clutter is essential!

Tisha Adams

We use 2 inch, 3 ring binders with 8 tabs. ALL loose papers are “filed” accordingly.

Ginger

Things always get lost in students’ desks. I often refer to it as the “black hole” for papers. Having a sack on the back of the chair provides a simple place for students to store unfinished or important work without the fear of it getting lost or crumpled. It also is the perfect spot that a teacher can visually see how far behind a student may be getting in their unfinished work. Students need this to learn organizational skills.

Heather Garner

I keep my students organized by trying to keep things simple and routine. I also try to incorporate organizational tools that work at home into my classroom. For instance, using key tags and hangers for student sign in cards.

Heather

Repeat expectations and give jobs. Delegation will help things run smoothly.

Jeanne Rudd

I have used seat sacks in the past, but unfortunately they have worn out over many, many years of use. Students would keep their Go Books (home/school communication notebook) in them to have easy assess to what needed to be brought to school and/or returned home. I really miss having these in my first grade classroom and would love to have a new set.

KeriAnn Unger

I also take pictures of what it should look like (we use 1 milk crate per table) and print the picture. I put it on the bin and ask them if it looks like the picture.

Markia Miller

What a convenient and space saving resource to help students become more organized and independent.

Dawn Pedraza

I love the Seat Sacks! I have used them for many years. They keep the students’ materials handy and organized. It reduces the amount of times students need to get out of their seats too. Unfortunately, the ones I have do not fit on the new chairs my school bought and I need wider ones. 🙁

Grace Carreon

I keep my students organized by having them clean up each time they are done playing. I make sure there is consistency in my classroom.

Melissa R Tom

Love this ?

Gwenette A Ross

I FOUND THAT TEACHING STUDENTS TO BE ORGANIZE HAS MANY BENEFITS. ONE KEY FACTOR IS CAUSES LESS FRUSTRATION AND DELYS WITH CLASS TRANSITION WHEN CERTAIN ITEMS ARE NEEDED. i LOVE THE INSENTIVE IDEA.

Jackie Bulldis

I use slides to teach students where materials should be stored, both in the classroom (for community items) and at their desk. I take pictures and project the slides where all can see. As an incentive, I leave a “calling card” inside each neat and organized desk, which includes a personal compliment about how well-organized their space is, and perhaps a jolly rancher or starburst candy etc as a token of my appreciation for their efforts.

Heidi Crawford

These are so great for helping students manage items that they need for tools that don’t fit into the desks.

Wendy Rogers

I love an organized classroom. We have class supply boxes and encourage and remind students to put scissors, glue, extra pencils back into the box. I have pencil holders on each desk. I say, “Park your pencils.” I have a small travel soap box that we use to store each set of student crayons. I encourage the students to keep crayons in the box so they won’t fall on the floor and break. We have HW folders that have a clear pouch on the back where we keep a sight word calendar for the year. It helps keep parents and students organized.

Joella

I like the ideas

Cristina

Love the sacks… Feel as though it really would help keep all organized

Leanne Boyd

I love for students to have everything they need without having to leave their area. It really cuts down on wasted transition time.

Traci

Supply bags for each student are so helpful in keeping organized! Crayons, pencils, dry erase markers and anything else is at their fingertips.

Turkessa

I keep organized by using the craft cart labeled with each day of the week. I also have cubbies for the student’s belongings.

Barbara Dennis

My seat sacks are in pitiful shape. I need new ones please.

Lauren

Model and practice! Reward role models

Jen

Agreed

Melinda

I use book bins that are kept on top of my cubbies. These book chair covers would free up so much space.

Alexis Nichols

I try to have the least amount of things in their desks. We use class work folders for loose papers that we don’t finish. A hard pencil box with materials we need and it’s the minimal amount and their dragons are in hard crayon boxes that fit in the pencil box. Any extra materials stay in their cubby on one of the shelves. Materials are also numbered and colored.

Tiffany Cruz

I love to use book bins to store workbooks and crayon boxes. I also have a shoe organizer for headphones. Works great for us

Candicd

Organization allows students the ability to center themselves in the classroom.

Amber Dixon

I use cubbies student folders and books. At the student tables they have their school box with their pencil, crayons, and scissors. I would love to have the chair pockets to keep all materials readily accessible to the students.

Raquel Guerrero

Classroom organization is key to a great classroom environment. These seat sacks also make class more accessible. Students have everything they need from where they are seated

Kristin Clennon

I provide a clean space incentive using a cubby fairy. Students keep their cubby and desk clean and the fairy comes at night and leaves prizes for students who have clean areas. Having seat sacks would help keep my students areas clean and organized!

Brandy D Kyle

Excellent article

Jameson

I love using SeatSacks in my classroom but mine are getting very old and could use a refresh! Kids like using them because it provides a quick access for everyday items. I got rid of my mailbox and just have their daily folder in the seat sack making returning work simple!

Jennifer

Organization is essential in a primary classroom. Students need to have their supplies readily available.

Elizabeth Kuzmicki

I love using seat sacks. I don’t have desks but instead I have tables. All the students supplies are kept in zipper pouches and then stored in a shared bin. It can easily be moved for bigger projects to give them space.

Christy Lee Newell

Such a great wheat to keep the kids organized!

Caroline

I totally agree! We practice organizing our desks the first two weeks of school. The “desk fairy” comes to check to see which students are keeping their desk organized.

Meshia H

Nice product for the classroom

Jen

Seat sacks are an amazing addition to classrooms. Student materials are right at hand and available when storage space isn’t. Model, model, model what should be in it. Keeping things color coded and simple help too! The Original Seat Sacks are by far the best!

Amanda Dewey

I think sacks would keep students from having to get up, and keep their stuff at the table.

Brandy

I also use baskets in the desk.

M. Iles

I use anchor charts with my Kinders

Anna Thorbjornsen

I currently have tables in my classroom and each table groups shares supplies. Students also have personal pencil boxes for items they’ve brought from home. Fingers-crossed that this year’s group can work through the “getting supplies transitions” smoothly.

Dominique

I keep my students organized by having colored coded bins for each table. Each table has a color so they have their assigned bins. In the past, I would zip tie basket under chairs for their own storage.

Dominique barone

I keep my students organized by having colored coded bins for each table. Each table has a color so they have their assigned bins. In the past, I would zip tie basket under chairs for their own storage.

Graciella Reynoso

I have always wanted seat sacks for my class! They are a great why to stay organized

Elisabeth Bertolucci

Wonderful advice for the classroom and for life for all of us in everyday life. Thank you!

Stacy Hubert-Bash

Between color coding and creating a teacher set of each thing I use organizationally – I model the habits and have seen so much improvement in each class from the first day to even as September begins.

Amanda

I use baskets to organize the students supplies

Amanda

I use baskets to organize the students supplies. My students have tables so, I put a desk at the end of the tables to hold baskets with the folders and books

Belinda Do-Medina

You’re absolutely right! We’ve been practicing our classroom routines for three weeks now (putting away supplies, classroom behaviors). Students need incentives to reward positive behavior and adherence to routines.

Since my class is an inclusion class, there are high needs. That being said, I see the need for Seat Sacks, and three of my teammates use them. They’ve worked well, and I wish I had some to help my students stay even more organized (22 desks). Yeah”

Here’s what I currently have for organization: I have Ikea Trofast bins (for journals) and zipper bags to store their books. However, with the new materials this year—Benchmark Advance—there is an increased need for storage.

Jodi Foy

I love my seat sacks!!!! They help keep my students organized!
My current set have lasted over 10 years.
Time for a new set!!

Shanique Pinnock

I had items on my classroom organized based on subjects. Labels are a life saver. To keep students learning utensils such as pencils organized I keep them in a table top caddy.

Heather Fontenot

Having an organized classroom is so important to a smooth running classroom and prioritizing student academic success. Right now I use book bins and supply bags for each student. Seat sacks would be such a helpful addition to my classroom.

Catarina Anselmo

I teach multilingual learners and my students benefit by having everything in our class labeled, even our supplies as my students are learning the English words.

Nataly

I teach a second grade bilingual class and I like to use small table caddies per table. Where we keep necessary school supplies, pencils , erasers , scissors, crayons and markers.

Nataly

I teach a second grade bilingual class and I like to use small table caddies per table. Where we keep necessary school supplies, pencils , erasers , crayons and markers.

Chyla

Keeping their name on everything and showing them how to put their things away

Barbara lalama

I keep things organized by labeling what is on the shelves or in the bins so students have an easier access to them. I color code their folders as well as their notebooks.

Mel

Great tips! Because of our desk style, I have to model and teach the best way to set it up. Otherwise, it won’t close.

Christine

Having a well organized classroom is important for the students and teachers. When the students are organized it makes it a lot easier to locate items and to know where to put things away. It takes less time and you don’t hear where do I put it, multiple times. Those chair organizers are a great way to support students.

Renee

Each table has a caddie and when we’re going to rotate stations, everyone pitches in to tidy their area.

Amber

I am working really hard to teach organization to my first grade students, but they removed the cubbies from under our desks so it’s very challenging.

Alexandra Martinho

One of the best tools I invested in was a class mailbox system. This helps me organize any notices, homework that needs to be handed out, and any work that I need to return. Students are assigned a number which matches their mailbox. This is a way to ensure everyone gets every notice or homework that they are supposed to get without me accidently missing a student at the end of the day.

Nik Jones

I definitely agree that modeling how to put materials away and how to organize materials helps students better understand how to stay organized. In order to build that habit, you should have students practice putting their materials away and keeping their materials organized. I show my students a visual on the SmartBoard of what an organized desk looks like and have them work to make their desks look the same.

Carie

I use lots of organizers!

Danielle Coppolino

As a new teacher, I am realizing how vital classroom organization is. My school required a lot of supplies to be brought in for our grade level and organization has been a struggle. With the seat sacks all our problems would be solved.

Joan C

I use small bins for pencils and pens