Do you use class jobs in your classroom?

The majority of teachers report that they use class jobs in the classroom. Assigning classroom duties helps to teach students responsibility and the need to contribute. The old adage that many hands make light work applies to the classroom as well as anywhere else in life. Students should be called upon to keep their own spaces clean, including their desk and anywhere they store coats, shoes, or extra work.

In addition to being responsible for their own personal belongings they can also contribute to keeping the entire classroom clean and tidy. Basically, if they use the space they can help care for the space. Assigning duties on a rotational basis gives all students the opportunity to contribute in an equal manner to general classroom tidiness.

Some teachers use job assignments as consequences for bad behaviour. Those students who have not handed in homework or have arrived late to class, for example, could be made responsible for the clean up the next day. The problem with this scenario is that often times the student behaviour doesn't change as resentment towards the punishment increases. Other teachers assign duties on a rotational basis to individual students or teams of students. When teams are used to accomplish tasks it also teaches cooperation and teamwork, which are added benefits in addition to the actual work completion.

Younger students often enjoy helping their teacher and feel a sense of accomplishment in completing the assigned tasks. This can be particularly important for students who struggle academically or socially. Feeling useful and completing a job successfully, no matter how small, can help their self esteem. When working with other students on a job, they are given opportunities for interaction that they may be too shy to take advantage of any other time.

Teachers who report that they do not have classroom jobs could have any number of reasons. Sometime students are too young, or too old, to help. Anyone with teenagers will know that it's probably just easier to do the job yourself. Whatever the reason, it is up to the individual teacher to decide how best to run their classroom. We trust teachers with the education of our children on a daily basis. Whether they assign classroom jobs or not seems a very small thing in comparison.