The main purpose of assigning students a classroom job is to teach them some responsibility. While they do learn how to be responsible by taking care of their belongings and keeping their desks clean and organized, a classroom job helps students keep the room running smoothly.

How many times a day do you ask a student to pick up that scrap paper off of the floor or shut the door behind them? An effective classroom job system utilizing classroom management can help eliminate your taking the time to ask these questions.

Assigning classroom jobs to your students will not only make them learn a little bit of responsibility at school, but it will be a tremendous help to your classroom management plan. Just think of all of the things that you can pass on to your students to do! Here are a few classroom management tips to help you design a useful classroom job system, one that will give you a break, while still teaching your students some accountability.

Classroom Management Tips to Design an Effective System

1. Make a List of Jobs

First you must think of all of the jobs that you need to get done. These jobs should be able to be done alone, without adult supervision.

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Next, you need to think about whether you want to assign every student a job, or if you want to pick names each month and have students rotate. Here are a few jobs to consider. There should be enough here that all students can be assigned a job if you want them to.

• Attendance Taker – takes attendance and brings it to the office.
• Lunch Count Helper – each morning counts who is buying and who is bringing their lunch.
• Paper Passer – passes out papers.
• Paper Collector – collects papers.
• Homework Collector – collects homework and puts it into the homework basket.
• Media Specialist – starts and stops computers or other technologies.
• Recycler – puts recyclable items in the recycling bin.
• Pledge Starter – starts the Pledge of Allegiance each morning.
• Center Monitor – makes sure materials are at the centers.
• Janitor – sweeps up the floor.
• Green Thumb – make sure the plants are watered.
• Door Monitor – opens and shuts the classroom door.
• Lights Monitor – turns on and off lights when entering and exiting the classroom.
• Calendar Helper – helps the teacher with the morning calendar.
• Errand Runner – runs any errands the teacher has for them.
• Recess Helper – carries any materials outside for recess.
• Chair Stacker – take chairs down in the morning and stacks all the chairs at the end of the day.
• Librarian – is in charge of the classroom library.
• Teacher Assistant – helps the teacher with anything that they need.
• Supplies Manager – takes care of all of the classroom supplies.
• Mail Monitor – each day the main monitor goes to the office and picks up the mail.

Considerations:

There are a few things that you must consider when choosing jobs. First, think about the students who have to catch the bus right away, these students will not be able to be the door monitor or the chair stacker. Next, consider assigning a few students some jobs like the janitor, paper passer, or the recess helper. Finally, consider having a few students be the teacher assistant because you may need more hands on days where there is a substitute teachers or when you have a classroom party.

2. Create a Job Application

A fun way to get students excited about having a classroom job is to create a job application. On the front board create a list of all possible jobs and have students look over them. Remind them to only apply for the jobs that they know that they can handle, and to consider when they get to school and leave, as well as if they have to leave the classroom for band or special help. Next, have students fill out their job application in their best possible handwriting, and encourage them to only apply for up to three classroom positions. Once handed in, you can sift through the applications and decide who would be best suited for what job. Students are more likely to do a job that they applied for.

3. Display Your Classroom Jobs

There are many ways that you can display your classroom jobs. You can create a pocket chart and have students’ names on paper which you can switch out at any time. Or, you can write the list of jobs on chart paper and write students’ names on clothes pins and you can move them around easily if you want them to ever switch jobs. Whichever way you choose is fine, you just need to have something visible for the children to see.

4. Maintain Your System

If you want your classroom to run smoothly then you must maintain your system. Do not falter and allow a student to pass out papers if they are not the paper passer. It’s best to switch out jobs each month or have students apply for new jobs. This way every student gets a chance at the job they are interested in trying.

Do you have an effective job system in your classroom? How does it work for you? Please share any tips or advice that you have in the comment section below, we would love to hear your ideas.