When on Pinterest, I often see pins about class room jobs and how to manage them. However, this is always for the elementary teacher who has one set of students. Yet, I'd like to give my high school students more responsibility, since they are teenagers, which would then free up some of my time. But, I'm a bit at a loss for how to manage the job assignments, choosing which jobs to give up control over, and how to hold kids accountable for completing their jobs, because it doesn't save me time if the work doesn't get done or I have to nag.
I like the various charts I see where the student names are removable and can be placed in the different jobs. I think the chart where a clothesline represents each child would be the easiest to manage with possibly 100 students. I could color code by class as I already like to do, and at the start of each day have the jobs posted for all periods. I would use a basic rotation for assigning the jobs.
What jobs is more difficult. Students can't handle anything dealing with confidential information, returning graded work is out. I already have a system for handing out handouts at the start of the period as well as for turning in work to be graded. Jobs I've seem before are to gather work for a scent students, and another to take notes for the class record. I've heard of updating the class web site with homework and what happened in class as well, but could the students access the program? What if homework information changes by the end of the period ? I think I would like to keep that job to myself. I can think of other jobs we might use sometimes, but not daily. Having a designated runner who drops off or gather items could useful. There wouldn't be raging over who gets to go, but what if the student in the rotation is unavailable? What if your posted student is absent? How do you reassign without it being a hassle? Could phone answered be ajob if they were taught how to do it correctly? Researcher who looks up word definitions or other facts that come up in discussion might be a good one so I don't have to stop the flow. Materials manger? Board or overhead cleaner? Jobs like hanging student work or taking it down I could ask for volunteers during prep or before or after school and reward them with candy. My goal is to really reduce the time we spend in class off topic as well as unwanted time in the building.
I have no ideas on how to get students to preform their jobs without added work from me. Some it won't matter. I'll just ask the student to run and get us more copies or to look up a word. But the other ones that need to be automatic, I am concerned about as had students who took forever to get into the habit of collecting their paper as they came in or following the diractions on the board. (Speaking of gathering papers. It would be easier if they had to walk by them naturally if inconsolable the room set up work for that).
