Educational tools have certainly changed in the last decade. The old three foot desks arent large enough to hold the computers, printers, cell phones and oh yes, the books, that are a daily part of your teenagers school life.

Many older desks have a row of small shallow drawers and no space for hanging files. These inefficient small drawers usually become junk zones.

Create a better homework environment by providing at least six feet of desk surface. This space will accommodate a computer and leave a large open surface for book studies, homework and special projects. Make sure to leave at least 4 feet of open surface.

Keep the hard drive off of the desk surface as well as the keyboard and mouse if possible. Place the hard drive below the desk and off to the side. Use a keyboard tray. If the desk doesnt come with a keyboard tray, purchase it separately and install it under the existing desktop.

Stagger twothree shelves above the desk opposite the computer. Shelves that are12 inches deep will fit three ring binders, dictionaries and the printer. The printer shelf will need a groove cut into the wall edge to accommodate the cables. These shelves will hold binders, textbooks and memorabilia without cluttering up the desk surface. U-shaped shelves that have side brackets built in help keep the larger books upright without the need for wobbly bookends.

Install the first shelf 8-10 inches above the desktop and the other shelves staggered above and to the sides of the centered shelf. The space below the lowest shelf will accommodate items used regularly.

If there is a telephone on the desk, mount it on the wall. If there is a cell phone, mount or place the charger off of the desk surface as well.

A small drawer for tape, scissors and pens along with a file drawer will complete the study area. Consider teaching your kids a filing system this year. This skill will be used for years.

A file drawer will help sort papers by subject. This is the perfect time to develop paper flow skills. Work with your child to create a file system that makes sense to them. Possible organizational categories for folders could be: by the subject, by the project, or simply homework completed, current projects etc. Make sure there are extra tabs and empty folders in this drawer so they can easily add new folders throughout the year.

Every summer sort through the file drawer with your child and purge the old papers to make way for new files the next school year. Developing the regular habit of purging old books and paperwork is an invaluable skill and worth the time and resistance you might encounter as you exercise this new habit.

Teach your child how to save and file warranties and manuals for all of the electronic gadgets they own. Again a valuable life skill to impart. Do this for your own records and lead by example. Staple the receipt into the front cover of the manual for easy access with warranty concerns.

Install a few hooks on the wall or a coat rack by the desk area to keep backpacks and other gear off the floor.

Help your teenage organize their backpack with plastic folders and small satchels for pens and discs.

There are amazing new organizational products designed specifically for school lockers. Check out all of the magnetic bins and discover all of the endless options for designing a custom locker space. Have fun shopping, you will be amazed at all of the options!