At the end of the day, you are exhausted. Besides teaching the actual subject content, you’ve done hundreds of little tasks each class period.Â
It’s time to work smarter, not harder.
If you haven’t already tried using a classroom job system, it’s time to get started. It does a lot for your classroom management if it’s done right. The number of classroom tasks you are required to do is lessened, and at the same time you teach students responsibility.Â
And with all of your students carrying out different jobs for the class, you’ll see a sense of community built in your room.Â
Plus, did I mention it makes your day a little easier?
And if you’ve already taken the leap and have a bulletin board full of class jobs, hopefully I’ll help you come up with a new job or two to help build that classroom community. Sometimes it might be a little thing that makes your school year just a little bit easier.
And as an added bonus, once you have your student jobs lined up and they’ve done them for a longer period of time, you’ll be handing your substitute teacher a classroom environment that is full of responsible kids ready to help the classroom function well without you.
For each job, I’ll give a grade level (some types of jobs work better for second grade than high school), a real job title, and some short job descriptions.
So let’s dive into that list! Ideas for Classroom Jobs:
1. Line leader
Grade level: Most likely lower grades
Real job title: Tour guide
Description: First in line, leads the class wherever they go. A great way to get help with students in the hallway.
2. Negotiator
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Conflict resolution specialist or HR
Description: Do their best to resolve small problems before they get bigger. You’ll need a good candidate for this one, you can’t just hand it to any student. If they do it well it can be a very important job when it comes to classroom management.
3. Class reporter
Grade level: Middle school and up
Real job title: Public relations
Description: Help you compile things to include/say about your class when emailing parents. Could even write a class newsletter, but that would probably be a big job requiring multiple students.
4. Door holder
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Door person, Porter
Description: Always hold the door for the rest of the students when your students leave class.
5. Door greeter or ambassador
Grade level: Upper elementary through high school
Real job title: Receptionist, secretary, foreign ambassador
Description: Answers the door when someone comes to it, asks what they want and helps them with whatever they need.
6. Table washer
Grade level: All grades, but more common for the upper elementary classroom
Real job title: Custodian or janitor
Description: Cleaning will be for different reasons based on subject and age of students, but they can get pretty dirty regardless of the grade.
7. Classroom supplies
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Purchasing department
Description: In charge of keeping a class list of supplies and telling the teacher when more are needed.
8. Desk inspector
Grade level: Lower grades to middle school
Real job title: Code enforcer
Description: Make sure all desks are returned to the correct spots, and make sure students aren’t defacing them.
9. Celebration manager
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Party/event planner
Description: Keep track of birthdays and other special events and lead celebrations. Singing voice and outgoing personality is a plus.Â
10. Table captains
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Upper management position
Description: If you have tables vs desks in your room, they are in charge of making sure the table stays on task and completes everything.
11. Pencil sharpener or pencil patrol
Grade level: Lower grades through upper elementary
Real job title: Equipment manager
Description: Can either be in charge of the class supply each day or for each individual student that needs one.
12. Lights
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Electrician or energy monitor
Description: Someone who is in charge of turning lights on or off as needed. A good idea would be to choose a student near the light switch.
13. Board cleaner
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Information specialist, teacher
Description:Â Have the students write things on the board as necessary to start class, and erase at the end of the day.
14. Substitute helper
Grade level: Any age
Real job title: Teacher aide
Description: If you miss school for the day, this person will be the specialist in charge of helping the sub with any issues they have.
15. Recess helper
Grade level: Lower grades
Real job title: Teacher aide, coach
Description: Help with any equipment that may be needed for recess.
16. Errand runner
Grade level: Upper elementary through high school
Real job title: Mail carrier
Description: Delivers things as needed, can also pick up copies.
17. Paper passer
Grade level: Any grade
Real job title: Supply distributor
Description: Passes out papers for the class. May be mostly obsolete, depending on your work being mostly online or a hybrid classroom.
18. Bathroom monitor
Grade level: Upper elementary through high school
Real job title: Project supervisor
Description: This position has to be chosen carefully, as it can lead to chaos for the entire class if it’s not done right. Set parameters for bathroom use and have this person keep track of student names, as well as how long students are gone. If done right it can make your own job easier. In previous years I had a boy and a girl monitor, it’s up to you if you want to go down that road with the current learning environment and different ways to identify students.
19. Absent student helper
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Office manager
Description: Notice who is absent for the day and then take care of whatever they will need. A real big help when you have someone coming to pick things up at the end of each day to take home for a sick sibling.
20. Chair stacker
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Not sure what this one would be, doesn’t require many life skills from the real world
Description: Stack the chairs at the end of the day for the janitors and custodians to better clean up.
21. Time keeper
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Referee or scorekeeper
Description: If you set aside a certain amount of class time for each activity, they can make sure you are staying on it.
22. Trash monitor
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Janitor or custodian
Description: Make sure the floor is clean each day and throw away anything they see on the way out. Probably will be the last person out.
23. Recycling bin manager
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Conservationist
Description: Make sure all things in the recycling bin actually belong there. Sorts as needed. If classes are smaller a good fit would be to combine this job with the trash monitor.
24. Library helper
Grade level: Elementary students through high school
Real job title: Librarian
Description: If you have a classroom library, this student can be in charge of putting them back properly, or even recommending books to other students. Also can keep track of them if they are checked out.
25. Pet helper
Grade level: All grades, but more likely in the lower ones or science classes
Real job title: Veterinarian
Description: Help take care of any animals, birds, or fish you may have in the classroom. If they are taken home each weekend, then keep track of how it went each Monday morning.
26. Plant helper
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Botanist
Description: Make sure you don’t kill the classroom plants.
27. Music coordinator
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: DJ
Description: Plays appropriate music in the background during independent work time, or finds other music as needed.Â
28. Weather reporter
Grade level: Lower grades
Real job title: Weather person
Description: In charge of letting others know if they need their coats, if it’s raining, etc.
29. Banker
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Accountant
Description: If you have a classroom currency, this person can keep track of it and distribute it.Â
30. Teacher assistant or classroom helper
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Administrative assistant
Description: Kind of a catch all type of job. Someone who can help with meaningful tasks that pop up from time to time but aren’t covered by anyone else. Can also assist other students jobs as needed.
31. Computer assistant
Grade level: All grades, but more common with older students
Real job title: Computer technician
Description: Make sure all computers are put back in the proper place and charging. You can also expand or add a 2nd person to help with a new student logging in or technical issues. Or have a separate IT department in charge of those issues.
32. Sanitizer
Grade level: All grades, but more common in lower grades
Real job title: Safety manager
Description: In charge of making sure all students get a little hand sanitizer on the way out/in.
33. Classwork manager
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Office manager
Description: A great position for a responsible student who can mark what is turned in, sort your assignment piles, or anything else to help you get an easy start on the next day.
34. Attendance aide
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Personal assistant
Description: Take attendance each day. Always double check it though!
35. Substitute
Grade level: All grades
Real job title: Office temp or substitute teacher
Description: Take over whenever a student is absent. Depending on the attendance at your school, you may need a number of students to do this.
Other things to consider
How do students get jobs?
You can have a job application or interview if you want. At the beginning of the year you may not have a good feel for students, so you may consider having a classroom job chart that rotates the first couple of weeks. Then you could assign actual jobs based on student choice.
How many jobs will you give out?
I like having a job for everyone, as it gives the students a sense of ownership for the classroom. If you don’t have enough jobs, consider having the students develop more classroom job ideas.
How long do they keep their jobs?
You don’t have to change the entire list of possible jobs available at the same time, there may be some jobs that you are better off keeping for a longer amount. And some students may find that they’re not ready to be a leader, but might excel in another position. This is a good time to remind them that even adults struggle at times with job choices and it may take a long time to figure out exactly what they want to do in life.
Can they do multiple jobs?
It’s possible that you’ll have some people who can’t handle their job responsibilities, or transfer out, or something else may arise. You’ll have to decide if you want to let them have more than one job, and if it is impacting their learning in a negative way.
What is the reward for doing their job well?
Some teachers give extra credit, some homework passes, while others don’t give anything (this works better with young students). Either way, a little something for helping with classroom chores isn’t too much to ask for, and it will make your students more enthusiastic.
Final thoughts
You can have a simple design for your classroom jobs, or you can go so far as to make it an economic game built around their jobs and class income generated (like I did last year).
Regardless of the method you use, it will help your classroom run smoothly and make your life a little less chaotic. And you’ll eventually be the envy of the entire school building when they see how well your students handle their job list.
As you build your classroom jobs list, remember that the main goal is to encourage the students to take on responsibility as well.Â
If you are looking for other classroom management ideas, we’ve got you covered at Midwest Teachers Institute.Â
To continue to work on your classroom management skills, we developed several courses that can help you have fewer discipline problems. Just click here to see the graduate courses that we’ve developed in collaboration with our university partners.
Also, we encourage you to share this free resource and others on our classroom management page, with others that are looking for classroom management approaches. After all, MTI has always been about teachers helping teachers. And part of that is to continue your teacher education outside of your bachelor’s and master’s degree.
