To make sure that it was fair, they even had to complete an application to take on the classroom job. They could even be fired from their job if they did not take it seriously. One of my jobs was a classroom greeter. This person stood at the doorway with me and greeted those entering. They even answered the door when someone came to the classroom while I was teaching. Another job was errand person. This is the person who took things to other classes/teachers or even the front office.

I actually started this because I taught The Giver, and the students had to decide what each person would do based on their personality and what they knew about them. This gave me the idea that some are qualified to do more. I felt that as a teacher, I should nurture these natural abilities.

No one had to take a job if they did not want it. I didn’t push it. I did have a rotation in place. Plus, it was nice not to have 20 hands shooting up in the air when I needed something done. That person had already been assigned. It was fair. I even had substitutes to fill in when someone was out sick. When Covid came into play, I stopped my classroom jobs and just never went back to them.

Some jobs to consider:

• Classroom Greeter
• Plant caretaker
• Errand Runner
• Paper/Supply Handler
• Technical Assistant
• Peer Tutor/Helper
• Clean up Crew

This is not an absolute list. Some years, depending on the activities that I had planned, things may be added or changed.

The post One thing I’d do again: Classroom Jobs appeared first on Teaching ELA in the Middle.

She does this daily. Students know what is expected. They know they are to be in a single file line, not talking, and facing forward. It may seem strict, but they do follow through for her. When we line up for lunch, it is without a doubt that our line is the quietest in the hallway, because from the beginning of the year, she set that expectation. Our hallway procedures is to have 6th grade and 7th grade honors line up on the left to go to 1st lunch, and 7th and 8th on the right to go to recess before 2nd lunch. Take a guess who is the loudest?

When these same students return, they are also the ones who are quieter and follow procedures better.

So why does this improve classroom management?

If your students are all over the place in the hall, they will be like that in the classroom. It goes back to expectations. What do you expect from your students? Have you practiced that from the beginning?

Wong talks about practicing your procedures daily for the first few weeks, but I believe there is something to be said about practicing it daily for the year. Expecting it daily. While most will not need that practice after the first month, you will still have some who are nonconformists (nicer way of saying their ADHD is out of control).

Even with exiting the classroom. The procedure should be something that is practiced on a daily basis to make sure that they are exiting just as orderly as they entered.

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