I feel like I’ve tried it all when it comes to classroom jobs!
At one point I had different individual jobs for each and every student that I had to remember to change everyday (exhausting!). With all the little, and big, things teachers have to do, classroom jobs should be at the very least of our worries!
Luckily, I have an amazing teaching partner with amazing ideas that I get to steal… I mean borrow.
Read on to find out more about making classroom jobs a breeze… When I walked into my teaching partner’s classroom, I found her brilliantly easy classroom job system on her whiteboard.
Assigning Classroom Helpers
She has a total of four classroom jobs that rotate everyday. Like in my classroom, her students sit in groups of four.
Each student in a group has a number (1-4) and this number is used to determine their classroom job.
She chose four classroom jobs that needed to be done on a daily basis.
Then, each day the numbers rotate so each student gets a new job each day.
Easy, right? And the brilliant part is every student has a job without creating 24 different classroom jobs to somehow rotate your kids through.
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• Classroom Jobs
• Organizing Absent Work
• Solutions for Constant Tattling
• A Quick Idea for Student Engagement
• Helping Student Get Organized
• Remembering Names on Papers
• Organizing All the Paperwork
• Bathroom Break Tips
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The jobs are simple and help keep the classroom neat and organized at the end of the school day. I can attest that it has worked wonderfully in my classroom and I now hardly have to think about classroom jobs!
Here’s the classroom job chart that I made for my students. The numbers are attached with paperclips, which make rotating the numbers easy-peasy.
But that’s not all! I also have two daily helpers who help me with the odds and ends jobs, like helping with our lunch boxes, passing out papers, sending reminders, and taking playground equipment outside. These kids are great at helping me remember the little things I ALWAYS seem to forget!
And there you have it! I went from 24 different jobs to 4 (plus 2) and couldn’t be happier with the outcome! Every student has something to do at the end of the day and best of all, it’s easy to manage!
If you need a change in your classroom job procedure, why not give this classroom job system a try!?!
You can change the job titles to fit your classroom needs. If you have larger table groups, you can add a job or two to the rotating list. If you don’t have table groups, you can simply count-off to give students a number that corresponds to a different classroom job.
Even More Classroom Jobs Ideas
Classroom management will be covered much better if students have a purpose in the classroom and know their roles. Need some more creative ideas for elementary students this school year? Check the quick list below:
- field trip counter – in charge of making sure the everyone is present and accounted for (of course, you’ll also do that, but it doesn’t hurt to have a back up)
- class pet – in charge of food and water
- dry erase boards – passing out and/or collecting
- homework helper – checking names off a list at the beginning of the day
- line leader
- work handler – passes out papers to rows or groups as needed
- scrap patrol – helps pick up the floor of scrap paper at the end of the day
- desk police – passes out “good citations” for those students who have organized spaces
- pencil pal – sharpens pencils at the beginning of the day for all to use
- BFF buddy – looks for students who are alone during lunch/recess and makes a point to talk to them
- office runner
- librarian – checks out and/or organizes classroom library
- historian – takes pictures throughout the week of the class for an end of the year memory book
How do you organize classroom jobs in your classroom?
We would love to hear in a comment below!
This blog post was written by Elizabeth Rossmiller, creator of the blog Tech Out My Class. Make sure to stop by and say hello!
Curious as to how you handle that odd group of 5?
I add them at the end facing the rest of the group and everything still works the same way. 🙂
What does the table leader do exactly? Love this system and think it would work well next year!
That’s completely up to you. 🙂 Could be someone who gets the supplies, someone who keeps the table on track, someone who makes sure everyone is ready. Whatever you like.
Do you happen to have this job chart available on teachers pay teachers? I love your font!
What about kiddos that just CAN’T sit with a group without everything going bat crap crazy? Any ideas for what to do with them? (you know.. other than what I WANT to do with them) 🙂
Hi Jessica! I have had students that have had to earn their way back into a group if they truly could not be a team player, but that is always a last resort. Its quite possible they really don’t know HOW to behave in that group. Maybe try something similar to these with those students: https://organizedclassroom.com/group-work-student-role-bands/
I have always had helper jobs in my classroom. I have 5 standard jobs that rotate weekly, not daily. The most prized is The Teacher Helper. They do everything I do. The learn how to use my laptop / Smartboard to execute brain breaks. They are the messengers, errand runners, supervisors if I step out of the room. They love it and take it pretty serious. I love when they recognize their friends for doing a good job and how they can be gentle at reminding others what’s expected. I couldn’t function without their help.
Love that Felicia!