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Conditions ranged from completely clean and tidy desks with no mess at all, to desks with half-empty drinks and piles of paperwork strewn everywhere. After being given an extremely complex test that was secretly impossible to solve, they were told to keep trying until they succeeded.
The students with the tidy desks were more organised in their approach to solving the problem and on average spent 18.5 minutes tackling it logically before starting to give up: those with the most cluttered desks struggled to make any reasonable start to the test and most gave up in under eleven minutes. Researchers concluded an untidy working area was a barrier against studying and completing tasks because it reduced the students’ mental resources.
A study carried out by Princeton University Neuroscience Institute also found working in clutter made it more difficult for the brain to process information and focus on a specific task. Students were less stressed and irritable if they worked in a tidy and clutter-free setting. Those who were placed in a disorganised environment felt generally more stressed and anxious.
The tidy classroom areas resulted in greater productivity, as the students had optimum focus on their work with fewer distractions.
What are the benefits of an organised classroom?
Classroom organisation is the key to creating an efficient institution, enabling teaching staff to coordinate educational programmes and the students to learn in a calm and uncluttered environment.
Keeping the classroom tidy is fundamental to the smooth running of the school, making the most of resources such as personnel and equipment. Teaching staff can deliver lessons more effectively when they’re not wasting time searching for books, notes and stationery due to disorganised storage.
In addition, being organised creates a professional image for the school, as pupils will lose interest, or have less respect for teachers who are not properly prepared for lessons. When everyone can concentrate on the task in hand, rather than worrying about where they’ve put their classroom resources, it improves the quality of work and overall efficiency.
Of course, it’s not only our ability to work that suffers in a disorganised area. Did you know that viruses, including flu, can linger on cluttered surfaces that haven’t been cleaned for 24 hours? There’s also a greater risk of pupils and staff suffering trips and falls.
According to a study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, being organised is better for our mental health. Continually working in an untidy space makes people more fatigued and depressed, as it can increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Storage for schools
Considering all the benefits of learning in an organised space, the importance of storage for schools becomes apparent. This is particularly important if you have a relatively small classroom, as it can be hard to find enough space to store everything.
School shelving means you can store vertically, making the most of every available inch without further reducing your floor area: our sturdy 55kg heavy-duty five-tier plastic shelving unit can support almost any size of school trays storage, so you’ll have enough room to fulfil your requirements without impacting classroom space.
Choose a good quality plastic storage box, such as Solent Plastics’ 18-litre clear plastic storage boxes with air control system. Conveniently sold in a pack of three, these small clear storage boxes are ideal for a school environment.
Ideal for paperwork, electronics and other equipment, archiving, laboratories and more; the design of the lid provides protection from the ingress of dust and air. By turning it 180 degrees, the box has ventilation holes to prevent a build-up of moisture inside.
Food-grade storage solutions
Solent Plastics’ 32-litre plastic folding stacking storage crate is a versatile solution for school storage needs, boasting an impressive 30kg load capacity.
Manufactured from BPA-free food-grade polypropylene, it is safe for storing food items, so can be used in the kitchen or dining hall. When not in use, it folds down to a height of 55mm, further maximising storage efficiency.
We also supply a pack of four 50-litre heavy-duty open-fronted stacking bins with colour-coded lids in green, yellow, blue and red in food-grade polypropylene. Ideal for schools, they can be used for food and non-food applications, such as recyclables and segregation, or in storerooms. When not in use, the bases nest inside each other to further save space.
Now is a good time to prepare before the academic year starts again in September. Let’s get organised!