I agree with M.E. to some extent. I also only had 5 minutes between classes, just enough to drop off one set of books, pick up another, and go to my next class. Then again, often the lack of time leads to some students dumping things into the bottom of their lockers instead of keeping their stuff in order. I had quite a few friends who, at the end of the year, when they had to empty their lockers, had one big ball of paper mashed on the bottom of their lockers.

My question is of another nature: do students really need to store that much stuff in a locker? I think I may have kept a sweater and a blank notebook in there, just in case, but that’s about it. I had homework or studying to do every night, so I always took my books home with me. Whatever supplies I used at school one day, I’d likely need to have them at home that evening. What’s to store?

I don’t know about anyone else, but I went to a large high school that gave us five minutes between classes: I really didn’t have the time or inclination to carefully organize my locker, or to primp in a mirror at my locker, or etc. Depending on my schedule and the locations of the classes, I might not have had time to stop there more than twice on a given day. Giving my books a shelf to stand on really wasn’t a priority. My locker easily fit what I had, on a single level, and I had to carry the majority of it with me anyway.

(We did tend to line our lockers with Contac paper at the beginning of the year, though, because they were 1/3-height metal lockers in outdoor “hallways” in Florida — rusty inside.)

Is this something students actually want, or just something their parents idealize for them? Obviously students need some level of organization to keep track of assignments, but that happens in notebooks and folders, not necessarily locker shelving. To me, these products almost seem like candidates for Unitasker Wednesday.

Ingredients, all available at nearly every hardware store
-piece of closet shelving
-heavy duty wire snips
-tape measure
-dowel rods (enough for 5 pieces)
-light duty saw

Cut the piece of closet shelving (a lot of places will do this for you…you could also go in on a large piece with friends if the store won’t trim it down) to fit the full inner width of your locker.

Cut the dowel rods to the height you want your shelf raised from the floor of your locker. You need 5 pieces.

Take your precisely cut shelving and wedge it into your locker so that it’s level, but a little higher than where you want it.

Put the dowel rods in the four corners of the locker and one in the middle back.

Push the shelf down until it makes contact with the dowel rods. Friction and weight alone should keep it in place, but if you want a really secure fit, put a dab of hot glue on each of the contact points (it will peel right off the metal at the end of the year).

I did this from 6th grade until I was out of high school. So easy, and SO much better quality than the crap-plasticky shelves all your friends will have.

I kept my locker pretty organized by not using a lot of notebooks (or dimebags). I only stored my school books and a small backpack for carrying crap home when I needed too. Eventually I picked the right classes and was able to lose the backpack as well. Oh how I still don’t miss that.

I just assumed that all schools did this, but apparently not … ?

Hey, I could try duct tape, but I’ll leave that to the truly desperate.