One of my high school students rushed into the office last week, breathlessly excited about the wonderful happenings in the life of a teenager: prom, summer and more. Meanwhile, when asked about her upcoming research paper, she opened her backpack, dumped most of the materials out and couldn’t locate the assignment. We’re coming into the home stretch before final exams and none of her work is organized. I know her parents are wondering the same thing I am, “When will she take ownership of material organization and help herself start researching from a position of strength?” Her anxiety built as she ran to the computer to see if she could access the information from her school’s website. Before she got too upset, I asked her to stop, take a deep breath and have an M&M (or two).

This young lady is not alone. Many students begin the year with an excellent structure of material organization in place and diligently maintain it for most of the year. By spring, often these systems dim in importance, overshadowed by busy schedules and enticing social opportunities. However, this is the perfect time to re-emphasize the benefits of keeping things organized. It should be gently pointed out that it is always important to be able to locate everything the student needs to prepare for tests and final exams. Additionally, time and energy (and peace of mind) are saved in the long run when the student takes an extra minute to file each document in the appropriate notebook or folder.

If thorough backpack reorganization is needed, take the time to do this now. Parents may need to check systems of material organization on a weekly basis during these last few busy months. If so, don’t beat yourself up. Everyone needs a reminder of the importance of keeping things in order and your consistency and persistence will eventually help your student to independently recognize when her systems of organization need attention. Our bubbly teenager will become independent in her material organization . . . we’re just not sure when!