How to Successfully Assign Classroom Jobs and Share Responsibility

Oh my goodness!! Are you feeling trapped in an endless cycle of tidying your classroom, sorting stationery, fixing up piles of books and completing other relentless classroom management jobs?

If you are, then this has been written with you in mind. I am going to share with you my six fabulous steps for successfully assigning classroom jobs and taking a load off you.

Let’s kick this off with a little bit of Rhumba!

My Aha Moment

Let me invite you into my home on a Sunday afternoon. I’m vacuuming again, picking up toys and crayons again, tidying the book corner and sorting the lego from the blocks, again. To cut the story short, I figured that something had to change because too much of my precious time was being taken up with never-ending organisational tasks.

In a moment of frustration, I put on my teacher hat and remembered that the only way to manage these jobs, is to get everyone involved and to dish out some responsibility. So, a pack up and clean up party was declared! Before I knew it, my son was vacuuming vehemently, behind the couch (excited to find multiple misplaced items) while my daughter was happily dusting! We sorted and packed away the toys and took a collective sigh of relief that our belongings were in order.

The bottom line is that my young children, like the majority of students, love responsibility and thrive on being trusted to do jobs.

Responsibility

If we want to teach students to be accountable for themselves, their belongings and their learning environment, we have to trust them with responsibility. Students feel capable when they have a sense of power and control over their learning environment and when they are making a contribution to the smooth running of their classroom.

Our job is to nurture self-worth and self-esteem by giving our students responsibility and the opportunity to feel pride in their accomplishments. Read on to find out how to transform your classroom through trust.

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How to Successfully Assign Classroom Jobs

Pitch Your Idea and Advertise the Roles

Tell the students you have noticed that there are lots of jobs that need to be done in the classroom to keep it an organised, safe and effective learning environment. Ask the students to think of other reasons why it is helpful to keep a tidy and organised classroom.

Draw out from your discussion that it helps us to look after our belongings, find the things that we need and to focus on our learning.

Decide on the Duties

Make a class list of classroom jobs that need to be completed. It is a good idea to think of enough jobs to assign one duty per student. Your job list will be unique and vary over the years, but here are a few of my favourites:

• Librarian
• Messenger
• Calendar Helper
• Chair Monitor
• Gardening Assistant
• Equipment Helper
• Line Leaders
• Bag Monitor
• Rubbish Monitor
• Technology Helper
• Window/Door Monitor
• Teacher’s Assistant

Job Applications

I love the idea of asking your students to apply for classroom jobs because it ups the ante of accountability.

Download our new Classroom Job Application Template and see the job applications fly in. The key thing to focus on during this step is the students’ understanding and appreciation of why each job is important and what valuable skills they will be demonstrating while completing them.

Allocate Classroom Duties

Before you announce the jobs in your classroom, hold a formal class meeting to describe each job and reinforce the values of responsibility, accountability and trust.

Remember to explain to your class that you will do your best to match their first or second job choice.  However, in cases where this isn’t possible, the jobs will be assigned on a rotational basis and they are sure to do their preferred job soon!

Performance Reviews

Hold regular performance reviews sooner rather than later. Observe your students closely and praise them for doing their job well. If a student is struggling to perform their job well, ask them if they need support and offer guidance.

Teaching responsibility and trusting our students with classroom jobs is all part of our leadership role as a teacher. I can guarantee that if you successfully implement a classroom job system, you will not only reduce your workload but also experience an almost instant shift in the classroom atmosphere, as your students rise to the challenge and enjoy a feeling of importance.

If you haven’t already set up a classroom job system, it’s time to get on board. If you already have one, but it’s not effective, have a reboot and a refresh.

Sometimes, a relaunch is all that is needed. If you have an amazingly effective system, share it with us!!!! Go forth and delegate!