Classroom Jobs That Work
Implementing a classroom job routine is a fantastic way to foster a sense of community and empower your students to take responsibility for the classroom. By assigning students specific tasks, you’re lightening your workload and teaching valuable life skills.
Throughout my time teaching kindergarten and first grade, I tried many different classroom jobs, systems, and displays. I was always reluctant to change a display after taking the time to prepare it, but I never regretted changing what didn’t work.
As Responsive Classroom explains, “Reflect on how students are doing with jobs and be prepared to change as necessary.” (I suppose that goes for anything when it comes to teaching.)
In case you’re not sold on classroom jobs yet—sometimes we like to do things ourselves—remember that perfect should not necessarily be the goal.
Why Classroom Jobs Matter:
Builds Responsibility: Students learn the importance of completing tasks and being accountable.
Fosters Independence: As students master their roles, they develop self-reliance.
Creates Community: Students feel a sense of ownership and pride in their classroom.
Teaches Time Management: Students learn to prioritize tasks and manage their time effectively.
Choosing the Right Jobs:
Consider your students’ ages, abilities, and interests when selecting classroom jobs. Here are some ideas to get you started:
line leader, door holder, paper passer, plant waterer, weather reporter, librarian, paper passer, technology helper, behavior monitor, conflict mediator
It is helpful to have more than one student do a job. For example, I assigned 2 “Paper Passers” to finish the job more quickly. This also helped me ensure that everyone had an assigned job. However, ensuring that your whole class is assigned a job isn’t always necessary, especially in older grades as the excitement and novelty of classroom jobs may have worn off.
Before you create the jobs, envision your class schedule. Aside from typical routines, such as lining up for recess, what might make your day more efficient? Some jobs become obsolete later on, while others present themselves. Again, it’s always okay to change things up.
Implementing the System:
Introduce the concept: Explain to your students the benefits of having classroom jobs and how they will help everyone early on. This does not have to be done even on the first week of school. Take your time to introduce the concept as a whole so that your students sufficiently understand that they are not meant to police each other but rather to work as a community.
Assign jobs: You can assign jobs based on student choice, ability, or a rotating system. I used to keep my student name cards alphabetized and rotate them every Monday, keeping the routine predictable. (They love to know when they will get to do their favorite jobs!)
Create job descriptions: Clearly outline each job’s responsibilities and expectations. For young students, this may be best represented by a photo or illustration. You could photograph students doing the job to reinforce the responsibility.
Provide training: Spend time teaching students how to perform their jobs effectively. Give them positive feedback just as you would with any other interactive modeling.
Establish a routine: Determine when and how students will complete their jobs, such as before Morning Meeting, at the end of the day, etc. As with any routine, you should use your best judgment on what is working. If unsure, give it at least two weeks to allow your students to adapt to the routine.
Celebrate success: Acknowledge and appreciate students’ efforts and accomplishments.
By implementing a classroom job routine, you’re creating a positive and productive learning environment. Clear communication, consistent expectations, and encouragement are crucial to success. Watch your students grow in responsibility, independence, and belonging.
Get my Classroom Jobs display on TPT! It includes 33 great options for you to choose from.
Classroom Jobs Editable Display for Classroom Community and Routine
