Classroom Jobs for Everyone

Why do we have classroom jobs?

Classroom jobs have been an central part elementary classrooms for many years. There at a lot of different structures and formats for them. I have found that it is a structure to include all students in the classroom community. Each student has an important role that benefits their classroom family. In Conscious Discipline framework, it is important that each child has a job in the classroom to help build community. When a student is absent, we notice the impact they have on the community. I start out by introducing the jobs during our morning meetings and demonstrate what each job looks like. The second week of school is when I begin to implement the jobs. You will find that after a few weeks the students will know what each job looks like and how the job impacts that classroom. A few questions students should be able to answer is:

How does my job help this classroom?

Why having a job is meaningful?  

The first step is to make a list of all the needs you have in your classroom. List out the routines and needs that keep your classroom running smoothly.  Then assign jobs to each of those tasks. I have found it helpful to also jot down a description of what each job entails. It is okay to have more than one student assigned to each job.

Here is a list of the jobs I will be using in my classroom this year:

·        Line Leader (x 2)  - These students leads the class to different activities

·       Caboose (x 2) - These students make sure we are all in line.

·       Door Holder  - This student holds the doors for classmates as we transition throughout the building

·       Electrician - This student turns the lights on and off in the classroom

·       Germ Patrol -This student gives hand sanitizer to each student before eating snack

·       Snack Helper  - This student carries the snack basket to recess and passes out snack

·       Mail Carrier - This student delivers any paperwork to the front office or other teachers

·       Librarian - This student is responsible for the library being neat and organized

·       Gardener - This student waters the plants throughout the room

·       Tech Assistant - This student helps plug in the ipads and checks that headphones are put away after centers

·       Classroom Greeter - This student welcomes guests into the classroom and explains what we are learning

·       Calendar Helper - This student leads the class in the days of the week and months of the year activities

·       Song Selector - This student selects the songs we use for our brain breaks

·       Weather Helper - This student helps identify and graph the weather for each day

·       Supply Manager - This student helps pass out any supplies during an activity

·       Recycling - This student carries the recycling to the large bin in the hallway on Thursdays

·       Pencil Sharpener - This student gathers and sharpens the pencils at the end of the day

·       Clean Up Cop (x 2) - These students are responsible for sanitizing the tables at the end of the day

·       Substitute  -  This student fills in when another student is absent and unable to complete their job

How to display the jobs?

It is important to display the jobs in a location where all students are able to access it throughout the day. As teachers, we have so many other things to remember throughout the day that it is almost impossible to remember the job assignments for each student. By displaying the jobs in a central location, students are able to take the initiative to find their job assignment on their own if they forget. In the past I have used magnets on the board, envelopes with popsicle sticks, and pocket charts. My classroom now doesn’t have much board space so I use a pocket chart on the wall.

How often are jobs changed and how are they assigned?

It is important to change up the jobs frequently enough so that each student is able to have each job at least once. I change my jobs weekly by moving the names down one spot. This ensures that everyone has an opportunity completing each job and it is one less thing for me to have to keep track of. Every Monday I read the new job assignments during our morning meeting. I know some teachers in the older grades have students fill out a little application for the job they think they would be good at. That is another idea to help students take the jobs seriously. They change the jobs less frequently due to the amount of work from the applications.

Click Here for Classroom Jobs

This file contains 30 different jobs as well as blank/editable jobs to meet the specific needs of your classroom.

There are 4 different themes included:

• Wood
• Blue and Green
• Rainbow Colors
• Black and White

DIY Crate Seats

Materials Needed

Crate

Spray Paint

¼ inch Plywood cut to fit the inside lip around the storage crate

2 inch Foam

Fabric

Staple gun

Velcro

I have used crate seats in my classroom for many years. They are easy to store and inexpensive to make. There are so many deals and coupons out there to help cut costs.After 3 years of a jungle theme, I decided it was time for an update.

Yikes these crates have seen better days! Time for an update. 

First you need to find some crates. They can be found at stores like Target, Big Lots, Walmart, etc… The crates I use are actual milk crates from a previous job. They were going to be thrown out so I decided to put them to good use. If you are going to spray pain them, make sure to buy spray paint that is made for plastic. I used Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch from Home Depot.

2. Have ¼ inch thick plywood cut at a home improvement store. I went to Home Depot and they cut the plywood for free. I’m sure other hardware stores do this as well.

3. While the paint is drying you can start on the seat. Trace the foam to be the same size as the plywood. 

*Look for awesome coupons at Joanns Fabric. I was able to get this foam for 70% off! 

4. Place the fabric right side down. Then stack the foam and plywood. Measure 2 inches from each edge. Cut the fabric out. 

5. Using the staple gun, fold the 2 inches of fabric and staple into the plywood. Make sure to pull evenly from each side just like you would wrap a present. Before stapling the corners, fold the edges into a triangle to keep the corners neat.

6. Place Velcro on the edges of the crate and the matching part to the cushion. Push down to connect the two. I found that the velcro worked really well to hold everything in place. 

I can't wait to use these in my classroom this year!

Flexible Seating

Before I started this blog post, I wanted to say that flexible seating is not for every teacher, student, or classroom. That is okay! If I had flexible seating with my group of students three years ago, I might have walked away from teaching right on the spot. Luckily, I didn’t. When I do have a group of students that are able to handle it, flexible seating has been amazing. I have been flooded with all kinds of questions about how I implement flexible seating in my classroom. I have compiled many of the questions along with my answers.

My students love being able to pick where they work best! Flexible seating is also great for group work. 

How do you introduce flexible seating to your students?

I have always started flexible seating the first day of school. Each year I start out with all my students’ names on name plates. As they come to school each day, they put their name plate on a different seat. They attached with tiny pieces of Velcro. I do this for three reasons.

1. Students in kindergarten might still need a model on how to spell their name correctly.

2. It allows students to explore all the different seating options in the room.

3. There is an incentive to getting to school on time. My students pick their seat as they walk into the classroom.

I do this method for the first few weeks which allows my students to explore all the different options and learn where they work best. Do not plan for this to work magically the first day. Some students will need more guidance on how to sit correctly on each seat and how we take care of our classroom. My one rule with flexible seating is that Miss Arnold can move anyone at anytime if they are not using their seat correctly or if they are distracting students around them.

I stress self-awareness. The students are responsible for finding what feels best for them and what kind of seating will make them the best learner. Once they understand what type of seat helps them learn the best, I allow my students to move to different seats throughout the day based on the activity. They no longer need their name plate to select their seat first thing in the morning.

Did you have a problem with students arguing over seating options?

Luckily in the primary grades there is so much movement throughout the day, there was always an opportunity to sit at a first-choice spot. I taught my kids to say “oh well, maybe next time” if the spot was occupied before they picked it. If there continues to be arguing over one area in the classroom, those seats might be put in the closet for a while until we are able to handle it again. Last year I had to put the stability balls in my closet because they were too much fun to bounce on. Many of my students had a hard time using them correctly. One thing I did find interesting was that seats I had anticipated as being the most popular were often the last ones picked. This past year the top choices were lap desks and the lowered tabled. The year before, my students wanted nothing to do with sitting on the ground. It’s important to feel the vibe in your classroom and modify if needed.

Do you have any challenges with students choosing to sit next to their friends and getting distracted?

Like I stated in a previous question, my one rule with flexible seating is that Miss Arnold can move anyone at anytime if they are not using their seat correctly or if they are distracting students around them. Once you move a student once, they learn quickly to make a better choice the next time. There are no warnings or punishments, they simply are asked to move their seat. My students enjoy sitting next to their friends but are also very aware of making the best choice for their learning. I feel that incorporating student choice into the room has helped them take more ownership in their learning.

I change my room around based on the needs of my students. There is not just one way to do flexible seating. 

How do you do direct instruction?

Majority of my direct/whole group instruction is done from our carpet. I do have assigned seats on the carpet because I strategically place students who would work well together for a turn and talk. There are a few exceptions each year when a student might need to sit at a lowered desk or a seat with bands throughout the instruction.

Where do your students keep their materials?

On each table there are general supplies for all students which include markers, crayons, and colored pencils. I also have supplies available to all students in my room including glue sticks, scissors, and expo markers. My students keep all of their personal learning materials such as book bags, pencil boxes, folders, and journals in magazine book bins. This allows them to bring their supplies with them to any seat in the classroom.

 

Pencil boxes and book bins help keep everything organized in the classroom. I bought both from amazon. Another option is to create a project on Donors Choose. 

Where did you buy/find everything that you use for flexible seating?

Flexible seating does not have to be an expensive endeavor. Many of the options can be used with items you might already have in your classroom.

This year I plan to use:

·         Stools - IKEA

·         Scoop chairs - Big Lots

·         Lap desks -  Hobby Lobby

·         Stability Yoga Balls -  Target

·         Milk crates- DIY

·         Pillows – Fabric from Joanns Fabric

·         Book Bins -  Really Good Stuff

 Low tables- Just remove the legs from a regular desk/table

What has been the most difficult part of transitioning from tradition to flexible seating?

I’ll admit that I have a Type A personality. I like to be in control.  The hardest part of switching from tradition to flexible seating was giving up control and allowing my students to explore and make their own choices. There were days where it was difficult, and I was ready to go back to traditional seating but for the most part it has been a great experience. I find that my students are more flexible in general when they feel they have a choice in their learning.

*The pictures are from a few different years in my classroom. I don't change a lot but add new seating arrangements as I find them. 

Here are some links to other resources about flexible seating:

https://www.educationworld.com/how-much-should-your-classroom-flex

https://www.weareteachers.com/best-flexible-seating-options/

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/flexible-seating-student-centered-classroom-kayla-delzer