Let’s talk about classroom jobs!
If you aren’t familiar with the term, classroom jobs are simple and meaningful tasks that you assign each student in your class that will be their responsibility. Tasks like line leader, trash cleaner, cubby inspector, attendance taker, book monitor, etc. You can think of small tasks that they can complete independently that will also take a load off of your plate.
At first, it may seem to you that students wouldn’t enjoy being given jobs in class and it would be one more thing to make sure they are getting done. On the contrary, historically classroom jobs are a huge hit among students of any elementary grade!
Classroom jobs give students a sense of responsibility and importance. It also builds a strong sense of community and belonging. It’s so fun to see how proud they get of their work and the relationships they build with each other by working towards a common purpose.
Here are some tips for implementing classroom jobs in your class
- Assign classroom jobs in rotation. Inevitably, there will be jobs that are more popular than others. There will be jobs that are coveted and some that don’t get quite as much enthusiasm. To make it easier, rotate out your jobs once a week. This will keep students from getting too jealous or bummed out that they didn’t get the job they wanted. Plus: students will actually look forward to class on Monday because they will find out what their new job is. Score!
- Explain why each job is important. To help build the sense of responsibility, make sure students know why their job is so important to the classroom as a whole. No one wants to be stuck doing a job that isn’t meaningful. You can do this by explaining it all at the beginning of the year, or you can hand out notes explaining the importance each week when students are assigned their jobs.
- Reward them for a job well done. Remember, we all appreciate being recognized for the hard work we do. When you notice that your student is doing a great job with their classroom job, reward them! You can do this with your normal classroom rewards (like this one) system or you can create a reward system exclusively for your classroom jobs.
- Make sure the schedule is visible for students to reference. When you are rotating out weekly, it can be easy for students to forget what their job is. Creating a display will help them keep track of their job. For younger students who aren’t strong readers yet, include pictures in your schedule so that they can figure out what their job is.
Ready to get started implementing jobs with your students? I have you covered!
This classroom jobs chart is completely editable so you can customize it to fit your needs. These cards can easily be used on a pocket chart, wall, or on a magnetic board to make displaying and rotating them easy.
You’ll get 52 editable PowerPoint slides. They include premade classroom job cards as well as some blank cards so that you can create your own. Make it your own by choosing between cursive or print and black and white or color with pictures.
The editability of these cards makes it easy to match them to your classroom theme or decor!
Pictures included for Line Leader, Greeter, Caboose, Folders, Lunch, Teacher’s Aide, Pet Care, Book Monitor, Sweeper, Kindness Keeper, Door Holder, Schedule Helper, Attendance, Lights, Cubby Inspector, Hand Sanitizer, Backpacks, Music, Meteorologist, Computers, Pencils, Bell Ringer, Recycling, and Absent Keeper.
Do you use classroom jobs? Let me know in the comments below!