...continued from Part 1

Design an Application

You may be thinking, "What? An application for classroom jobs? That really isn't necessary. I'll just assign the jobs as I see fit." That's what I thought as first, too. But, I've heard from several other teachers who have done applications before that it is a step that really helps the students to take their jobs seriously. Plus, it's an opportunity for you to get each student's commitment in writing that they will perform any job to the best of their abilities. Ask students to list their first, second, and third choice jobs. Here is an example of a Classroom Job Application.

Make the Assignments

Before you assign the jobs in your classroom, hold a class meeting where you announce and describe each job, collect applications, and emphasize the importance of each and every duty. You will want to avoid (or at least minimize) the amount of complaining you hear along the lines of, "But, I didn't want this job, I wanted a different job!" Make it clear that students need to perform any job well in order for the class to function efficiently. Promise to give each child his or her first or second choice job some time throughout the school year. You will need to decide and announce how often the jobs will be changing. One teacher I know changed them every three months. Another teacher cycles them every month. I am thinking of changing them every two weeks for my third graders because I want them to get a chance to do every job. However, you also want to give the students a chance to excel at their duties. This will be a judgment call for each teacher. After you assign the jobs, give each student a job description about their assignment. They will use this to learn what they need to do, so be explicit!

Monitor their Job Performance

Just because your students now have jobs doesn't mean you can just sit back and take it easy while they perform their duties. Watch their behavior closely. If a student is not performing the job properly, conference with him or her and tell the student exactly what you need to see in their performance. If things don't improve, it might be time to consider "firing" them. If their job is essential, you will need to find a replacement. Otherwise, simply give the "fired" student another chance during the next cycle of job assignments. Don't forget to schedule a certain time each day for the jobs to be performed; I am scheduling it for the last 5-10 minutes of the day when we assign homework, pack up, and dismiss for the end of the day.

That's about it! As you can see, classroom jobs are a wonderful way to teach responsibility and build a sense of classroom community. With the use of job applications, you are also giving the students practice at filling out forms, which is an academic standard in many districts. Customize the job titles and descriptions to fit the needs of your classroom and get ready to enjoy the many benefits of a classroom job system.

Have fun with it!

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