As middle school counselors, we notice that certain problems or issues tend to reoccur more frequently than others. Because of this, we have developed a series of tips that we offer both to students and parents that we hope will help you resolve some of these problems together. Middle School students typically want to do things on their own, but they also need guidance from the adults in their lives. Here are some suggested strategies for a few common middle school issues.
Locker Organization and Cleanliness Is your child’s locker a mess? Does your child have trouble finding things in his/her locker?
Here are some excellent strategies for keeping a clean locker:
Never put loose papers in the locker—they should be placed in a homework/take home folder or in a class folder.
Label all books and notebooks on the spine and stand them up (bookshelf style) in the bottom of your locker so you can quickly grab what you need.
Hang any backpacks, coats, gym bags, lunch bags, etc. on the hooks in your locker.
Keep extra pencils, pens, tissues, SSR books, etc. on the top shelf of your locker.
Always take things home the day your are finished with them—gym clothes, lunch bags, projects, graded papers, etc.
Ask to clean out your locker during homeroom if it needs it.
Always feel free to ask your child’s teachers, principals or school counselors for additional suggestions!