They also provide guidance and support to students who may struggle academically or socially.
However, teachers have to juggle lots of complex responsibilities. In addition to teaching, they must deal with discipline issues, parent meetings, curriculum planning, and more.
One way of relieving these responsibilities is to offer classroom jobs to your elementary students. These can be anything from assisting the teacher during class time to helping out at lunchtime.
This is not only helpful for you, but it allows the students to become more sensible. Here is our list of classroom jobs that you can assign to your responsible students:
Reading Tutor
Students help each other by reading aloud to one another. It helps them understand what they read and how to apply the information to real-life situations. This can improve reading and literacy skills.
You can choose students with high reading levels to support those who are less skilled. Having reading assistants means that students will receive one-on-one support.
Lunch Helpers
Another idea is to get students to help at lunchtime. They can also assist with cleaning up after lunch. Responsibilities can include passing lunch boxes to the correct person.
They can also check the contents of the lunchboxes. This gives them an opportunity to learn about healthy eating habits while having fun.
Library Assistants
Students can help keep the library organized. They can also answer questions and look through books for appropriate materials.
This can give them valuable experience in working within a library setting. This can be excellent for people who have an interest in literacy.
If your school does not have a dedicated library, you can also make a small classroom library.
Book Monitors
In an elementary classroom, students write in school books. A book monitor can be responsible for workbooks, ensuring that they are given to the correct pupil. They can also check that the books are kept in good condition.
This would allow your students to practice good writing techniques. Plus, it teaches them to respect their property, stopping them from scribbling over their books.
Art Room Assistant
Your art room assistant can be responsible for keeping the art supplies tidy. They can also help with any projects that need painting.
For instance, if you need to make a classroom display, you can also ask the assistant to aid you.
Moreover, this assistant can check that all the supplies are in the correct place. If anything is missing, they should notify you.
For example, if you are low on a certain paint, the student can inform you. This allows you to replenish the art stocks. We recommend reserving this responsibility to arty students.
Homework Helper
Some people struggle with completing homework. Though it is your job as a teacher to ensure that homework is at the right level of difficulty, you must remember that some students will be more capable in certain areas than others.
Therefore, you may want to consider assigning homework helpers.
This could mean that you ask students to complete specific tasks such as checking spelling or math problems. This will help those who struggle with these subjects.
If a student is finding homework too hard, you can ask the homework helper to give them some support.
Perhaps you can have different homework helpers depending on the subject. Ideally, you should choose someone skilled in that subject area.
For example, if you are setting math homework, you should select a student with mathematics achievement.
Attendance Monitor
It is important to document classroom attendance, which is often done through a register. You can do this by asking students to raise their hands when their name has been called out.
This ensures that everyone has been accounted for.
If you have a large class, you might find it difficult to register attendance. In this case, an attendance monitor can be extremely useful.
They can record the number of pupils present at each time. This means that you don’t have to count yourself.
Line Conductor
In an elementary classroom environment, there is usually one person in charge of leading the children down the hallways. This could be a line conductor. As the name suggests, they lead the way for the rest of the class.
They can also take care of any issues that arise. For example, if the class gets lost, they can guide them back to the classroom. Moreover, they can explain where they are going and what they will see along the way.
This teaches your students to be organized.
Board Eraser
When teaching younger students, you may notice that they sometimes draw on the board. To avoid this, you may want to assign a board eraser.
They can clean the main whiteboard or any smaller whiteboards that may be used by the students. This role ensures that you have clean whiteboards the next time that you utilize them.
Recycling Checker
Recycling is vital, even in classroom settings. This is because it helps the environment. However, this does not always happen automatically. One way to make sure that recycling happens is to assign a recycling checker.
They can go around the room and check whether everything is correctly recycled. If something isn’t, they can put the recycling in the correct place.
For example, you may want to keep separate recycling boxes for paper and plastic.
You can assign this role to anyone in the class. The only requirement is that they know how to recycle properly. If you are in a school setting, it is important to have a simplified version of recycling.
For example, it may be best to avoid glass and cans as these could be hazardous for children if improperly handled. If you have any of these items that need recycling, you may want to take them elsewhere.
Benefits Of Student Jobs
There are many benefits associated with having student jobs. Some of the most common include:
Teaching Responsibility – Students gain responsibility when they are given the opportunity to work. By doing so, they learn about why it is important to work hard.
Learning Skills – Working gives students valuable skills such as organization, planning, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, etc. These are jobs that not only translate to schoolwork, but also future employment.
Self-Esteem – Having a job allows students to feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves. It shows them that they do matter and that their opinions are valued.
Socialization – Having a job provides students with opportunities to interact with other people. They get to socialize with adults and other students. This makes them more comfortable being around others. This makes them a good option for shy students who do not have many friends.
It relieves pressure on the classroom teacher – As mentioned earlier, teachers often have a lot of things to worry about. With student jobs, they no longer have to worry about keeping an eye on every single student. Instead, they can focus on teaching and learning.
It builds community spirit – In addition to reducing stress levels, having student jobs creates a sense of community among students and staff. Everyone works together to ensure that everyone has a great day.
As a result, we strongly encourage you to implement these jobs in your elementary classroom. You will find that they are beneficial for both students and teachers.
How To Select The Right Candidate
Once you have chosen which classroom jobs you want, you must consider which individual students should be given these responsibilities. If you have a large classroom, this can be a tough decision.
However, there are some tips that can help you make the right choice.
First, look at each student’s strengths and weaknesses. Do they excel or struggle in certain areas? Then, think about what type of job would benefit them the most.
For example, if one child struggles with math, then they might be better suited to a job where they have to count money.
On the other hand, other students may thrive in a job where they have a lot of freedom. Therefore, by thinking about each student’s needs, you can create a job that will benefit them the most.
Second, try to choose someone willing to work. If you give a student a job that requires too much time and effort, they will likely quit before they even start.
So, make sure that whoever gets the job is willing to put forth the necessary effort.
Third, make sure that you select a candidate who is mature enough to handle the job responsibly. Also, be careful not to hire anyone who does not seem trustworthy. Take student behavior into account to find the perfect candidate.
If no students immediately come to mind, then you can offer them the chance to volunteer. By doing so, you can determine whether they are interested in working. If they are, then you can ask them to apply for the job.
Often, pupils will require some form of reward. So, it is important to provide incentives such as extra recess time or a special treat. Otherwise, you may be unable to motivate any potential candidates.
Remember that you need to take the time to train your new employee. Be sure to explain how to perform their duties properly. Also, make sure that you set expectations clearly.
Always check up on them periodically. Without support, your students may be unable to conduct their responsibilities.
Finally, make sure that you evaluate how well the job was done once the school year ends. Did the student perform well? Were they able to complete all of their tasks? If not, then you may need to reevaluate your selection process.
You may also need to check whether your expectations were too high. Potentially, you may have been giving the student too many responsibilities at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Classroom Job?
A classroom job is an activity that helps teach children. Some examples include helping clean the classroom or organizing supplies. These types of activities are often used to increase learning opportunities for students.
They allow children to develop skills while having fun.
How Do I Choose A Classroom Job? How Can I Make Sure That My Student Will Actually Work?
The first step is to identify which students will be best suited to a particular task. This is especially true when choosing a classroom job for younger students.
For instance, if you want to help a student learn how to read, then you should choose a job that involves reading materials. As mentioned, you should provide an intensive if you want your students to work hard.
How Can I Make Sure Student Jobs Are Done?
To keep track of your student employees, you can use a job chart. This allows you to see exactly what has been completed and what still needs to be done. It also provides a record of the hours worked.
This can be used to determine what reward the student receives. For instance, you could reward them with different prizes depending on the number of jobs completed.
Final Thoughts
As discussed above, there are many benefits associated with having students run the classroom. They learn responsibility, teamwork, and leadership skills.
Additionally, they gain valuable experience while helping others. If you want to change the dynamics of the classroom community, student jobs are an incredible idea.
Hopefully, this guide will have given you sufficient inspiration to select some jobs for your elementary pupils.
Hi, my name is Helena Waters and I was a teacher for 40 years before retiring last year.
During my time as a teacher I dedicated the majority of it to making classrooms as fun as possible, with educational parties, fun activities, and low cost entertainment that made the children excited about learning.
I taught children of all ages, from preschoolers to high school students. Now, with the pandemic having uprooted everything that children once knew about school and learning, I think that the need for my ideas is bigger than ever.
That is why I created School Sparks, a place in which I can write down and share all of my ideas on how to get students excited about going to school again. I hope that you’ll find some useful within a school setting, even at home too!
