6 Reasons You Will Love This Classroom Jobs Plan

Have you ever made a change in your classroom management that totally transformed your classroom? All you can think is, “Why didn’t I do this years ago?” That’s what happened to me and I’m sharing all the details here! Learn the 6 reasons you will love this classroom jobs plan and how it made me a happier teacher while also helping my students gain confidence!

The Purpose of This Classroom Jobs Plan

Several years ago, I joined an online book study for the book, Unshakeable by Angela Watson. While reading this book, I had several “aha” moments and some “I knew that” moments. 

One of the “aha” moments I had was the idea of a self-running classroom. For you control freaks (you know who you are), this is probably a challenging idea to accept – BUT – it will make your life much less stressful and enrich the experience your students have while you are their teacher. 

Here is how it works:

One – Every Student Has a Job

Every single student in my classroom has a job. It takes all of us to create a self-running classroom, and I want every single student to have a role in that process, so no one feels left out. This is a mantra that I remind students of throughout the school year. We all need to do our part to create the best learning environment, and they are an essential part of it.

Two – They Keep Their Jobs for 4 Weeks

Students keep their job for 4 weeks. There are several benefits to this:

• I am not constantly training students on how to do their new job, which takes up much of the time I should be teaching or building relationships with my students.
• They get really good at their jobs. You will see how much pride they take in doing a good job.
• Your classroom will function like a well-oiled machine because they get really good at their jobs!

** I usually change student jobs on the day they receive their interim reports or 9-week grade cards. It makes it easy to remember for them and me.

Three – They Train Their Replacements

One of the benefits of this system is that after the first phase, where I train each student on their job responsibilities, they train their replacements. Which means I’m not needed. It also means they take on this responsibility, and let me tell you – you will see future managers in training!

Four – They Request Their Jobs

This is a simple process. The week before we change jobs, I ask my students to write down the top three jobs they would like to do for the next 4 weeks. There is no guarantee they will get any of those jobs because there are a few jobs everyone wants and some that nobody wants.

I tell them I have been observing how well they have done their previous job, i.e., consistency and quality, which will inform my decision for their next job.

Also – some jobs are best done after school while students wait on their bus: pencil sharpener, sweeping the floors, and prepping the next day’s materials. So, I steer those jobs to the students most likely waiting longer for their buses.

Five – Student Benefits of the Classroom Jobs Plan

Giving every student a job has so many benefits! They become part of our classroom community where everyone’s contributions are essential and help make our classroom run smoothly. They develop purpose and responsibility as they fulfill their job requirements.

One unexpected by-product of this system is that it teaches students to be patient, which, as you know, is not easy for 8-9 year-olds. Continuing to do a good job while waiting for the job you really want is a good life skill.

Six – You Get a Self-Running Classroom!

The most significant benefit for me is that I get a self-running classroom! I don’t have to stay after school doing all these housekeeping-type tasks. I can focus on the instructional part of my job. Not only that – I can go home at a reasonable hour which is a win for me!

Grab this FREE Classroom Jobs Tool to get started

This system may sound complicated, but it isn’t. Use whatever jobs chart you already have! But – to keep you organized all year, I am sharing this FREE Digital Classroom Jobs Teacher Organizer that you can edit to match the jobs you have in your classroom! 

Start your self-running classroom this year with this helpful organizer that will make the process much easier and more organized!

If you decide to try this classroom jobs process – let me know how it works for you. Don’t forget to click on the link for the FREE Digital Classroom Jobs Teacher Organizer!

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If you want more tips on improving classroom management – start with this post: How to Write Classroom Procedures That Create a Safe and Respectful Classroom.