I am a little OCD when it comes to my classroom. I love things nice and tidy.
Let me tell you--it is hard to being a neat freak in a first grade classroom!
However, I am a believer that children can be trained.
Since the beginning of the school year, I have been working on it with my students.
It drives me crazy when they just shove things into their desks.
It drives me CRAZY when they collect scraps/garbage and pile it in their desks.
It drives me crazy when they can't find anything they need, because their desks are too messy!
So, to solve this problem, I brought out Dusty the Desk Mouse.
My students think he is pretty stinkin' awesome!
Dusty the Desk Mouse will only visit desks that are clean... inside and out.
And if he visits your desk, he will stay for the whole entire day!
Every morning, as soon as I greet my students at the door, they check to see who's desk Dusty is on.
Word always spreads quickly and it isn't long before the whole class knows where he is.
He is kind of a big deal.
What do you do to encourage cleanliness in your classroom?
man I need him for my girls room :)
ReplyDeleteThat is soo cute! thankfully, my kinders don't have desks! but i'm guessing it would drive me nuts-o if they did!
ReplyDeleteMy firsties don't have desks this year but I do a clean table fairy that delivers a certificate good for one lunch with the teacher. I do this probably once a week and the kids love it. I have also done table money before and by the end of the week the table who has the most money gets a treat or have lunch with me! They have paper trays that they put their spacemaker boxes and papers in. It gets really messy really quick!
ReplyDeleteI do a neat treat! It's actually for neat handwriting form the handwriting fairy, but it would totally work for clean desks! We always clean out our desks before we go off track each time.
ReplyDelete-Rachelle
whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com
What a cute idea! I train my 4th graders how to put away belongings/clean up their area, and I award students with tickets. I also have the kids clean their desks every Friday so that we start the week off fresh. I imagine it is hard to keep a clean classroom with 1st graders, but I agree that kids can be trained!
ReplyDeleteLoving it!
ReplyDeleteLOVING it!
This is yet another of your oh so simple, oh so perfect solutions to the many complexities of teaching in the early years!
xx Felicity
THREATEN THEM!!!!
ReplyDeletehaha, just kidding! ;)
Seriously, since I teach 5th, we have big talks about responsibility and organization. I am DEFINITELY OCD at work. I can't stand clutter and messes. I even have a "what a clean desk looks like" sign. I've done random desk checks and given away prizes (pencils, etc) and it helps. There are always a few who no matter what will be messy. (I think offering them a million dollars wouldn't get *those* desks clean! *wink*)
Here are some tips! :)
ReplyDeletehttp://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com/2011/01/management-monday_31.html
-Rachelle
whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com
The desk fairy visits my classroom quite often. After the kids leave, she places a treat on the desks that are clean and organized!
ReplyDeleteI must have his cousin, Tidy the Table Mouse!! He will be making his debut tomorrow apparently. Great idea. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://LittleMissGlamourGoesToKindergarten.blogspot.com
omg - dusty? how CUTE!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE IT! I have the same mouse (I can't help myself when Khols does their story book characters - I buy them all!).
ReplyDelete