As I sat at my table during quiet time, after lunch, a pack of post-its and a mechanical pencil was dropped on my desk. I looked up to see C. She was just staring at me.
I did the scrunchy eye thing, hoping she would be following up with some words to explain…Nope. So, I had to ask, “What’s this for? Do you need something?”
“It’s yours,” she responded. “After you earn three erasers, you get something bigger.”
See, she was the one who wrote me a note describing me as “crazy nice and messy.” So, I decided early last week that I needed to clean my desk for her. I just felt so bad that my 
mess weighed on her mind. She would come to sit at my table for guided reading and she would just look and shake her head…the disappointment. After the first day of a clean desk, she informed me that I would be receiving a prize for each day I kept my desk clean. So, far I have earned three erasers, post-its, and a pencil from her.
It turns out my clean table is BIG news in our class. I received a round of applause from the class when they arrived and saw my clean desk last week. It was also the subject of several slices of life. Here are a few:
With all of this encouragement, how could I not keep my table clean! Plus, the kids give me reminders if it starts to get a little messy again…I can’t let them down!
jenniebblog 
That is awesome! I need C to stop by my classroom and give me some encouragement.
I would love to be known as crazy, nice and messy. So cute the kids are rooting for you.
You can send them to my table next! Cute slice!
Grateful that you shared. Makes me realize how students pick up on what it means to be a teacher.
I love this! Sometimes students give the best advice. My favorite question for them is “do you think the classroom is neat and organized?” Sometimes they will point out an area that seems disorganized or cluttered to them that I didn’t even notice!
Hysterical! I love that you are getting positive praise and rewards. It sounds like you have a great relationship with your kiddos!!!
This is great! I need this!! And I think it would work. I asked my 2nd graders to make me accountable for where I put my projector remote because I’m always losing it. So now every time they come in, they check for it in the right spot. If it’s not there, they say, “where is it??” But because I know they are going to ask, I have been so good about putting it back where it goes! If I see it in the wrong place, I think, “They are going to yell at me! I have to put it back!” So maybe I need to do the same kind of thing with my desk!!
I can see this unfolding. The continued looks of child-faced consternation at the erstwhile mess. The shock and awe clean-up. The little treats was simply the cherry. Your kids are adorable. I just grinned reading this.