Having your students help in the classroom is a great way to keep them involved as well as impart basic work ethic into them. These jobs can vary from simply being the line leader to helping clean up after activities to turning off lights.
Why do you Need Classroom Jobs?
Classroom jobs serve a dual purpose. It allows you to have help with the smaller and more tedious tasks in the classroom as well as giving the students a sense of accomplishment and pride.
Do Jobs in Preschool Classroom Help Children?
Giving preschool children jobs is a fantastic way to help teach them responsibility and help to build their task prioritization. It is also a way to keep them involved and work on basic skills such as counting, color recognition, etc.
How do you Assign Jobs in Your Classroom?
One way you can assign students jobs is to rotate through the class roster. If multiple students are needed to perform the task, you can pull the next few names at the same time.
Another way is to plan for half the class to help at a time, then the next half the next day.
How do you keep up with Jobs in Classroom?
You can write out a list of jobs on a strip of construction paper. Then write all of the students’ names on clothes pins and clip them to the paper next to their job.
Another idea would be to make transparent pockets with your students’ names on them. You can then write the jobs on note cards and slip them into the pockets.
How do you Decide Which Jobs to Use in Your Classroom?
Deciding the jobs all depends on what age group your students are in. Making sure that your kids are able to complete the task is the first step to picking jobs.
If your students are showing more capability than you expected, you are always able to add more jobs to their list or make their job a bit more complex.
Ideas for Jobs in Classroom
Kindness Spotter – This student would watch for people being kind and award them with a sticker or something fun.
Job Coordinator – This student will help coordinate the rotation of jobs for other students.
Substitute Worker – This student would fill in for any student who happens to be gone.
Gardener – This student would water the plants in the classroom every day.
Zookeeper – This student would feed and water any classroom pets.
Librarian – This student would keep the bookcase in the classroom tidy and organized.
Art Director – This student would pass out the art supplies for any activities.
Center Monitor – This student would check to make sure all centers were cleaned right after center time.
Cobbler – This student would go around and tie shoes for students who need help. For smaller children, this student could help gather the shoes of other students.
Door Holder – This student would hold the door open for the class (if you have several doors, you can have multiple door holders).
Energy Helper – This student would turn off lights when leaving the room.
Line Leader – This student would be in the front of the line when moving between classes, to the bus line, etc.
Lunch Helper – This student would help pass lunch out to the class as well as pick up the trash afterward.
Table Washer – This student would wipe down the tables after lunch or during craft time.
Music Leader – This student would help pass out and collect instruments for music time and can help choose songs.
Caboose – This student would be at the end of the line responsible for closing the doors and turning out the lights.
Bathroom Monitor – This student would make sure the bathroom is tidy and doesn’t need any supplies (soap, paper towels, toilet paper).
Teacher Assistant – This student would help the teacher hand out and pick up assignments. They can also help other students if applicable.
Tech Assistant – This student would hand out and collect tablets or laptops and make sure that they are plugged in at the end of the day.
Trash Patrol – This student would make sure the trash in the classroom is picked up and disposed of and help take out the trash at the end of the day if applicable.
Weather Watcher – This student would be responsible for reporting the weather in the morning. Circle time would be a perfect time for this student to do this!
Greeter – This student would greet incoming students and help take their backpacks/jackets. You can also implement this student by giving high fives or elbow bumps to other students as they come in.
Putting it all together
Giving students jobs gives them a sense of responsibility and pride. From a young age, children want to help and chip in where they can.
Assigning classroom jobs not only allows children to have experience doing tasks outside of their normal responsibilities but also allows you as the teacher to have less on your plate.
Are there any jobs that I missed? I would love to know in the comments below!
