Since most middle schools are departmentalized, students move from room to room for different subjects. Homeroom or home base is a brief time to accomplish announcements and administrative matters. Classroom jobs can ease the transition.
Reasons for Classroom Jobs
Changing classes can lead to a less personal experience for students. From the teacher’s perspective rotating 100-150 students per day can be daunting without a support plan. In self-contained elementary classrooms teachers assign ‘helpers’ by week or month giving them responsibility for classroom maintenance and management similar to the set of in families with members responsible for chores.
Educational philosopher John Dewey noted the school is a microcosm of society. Students learn cooperation and democracy by participating in a social organization like the classroom.
Rather than being a transient captive in class, middle schoolers who have room jobs
achieve grounding and satisfaction by being involved in a class. A system of classroom jobs encourages participation, ownership and self-confidence among pre-adolescents.
Teacher-Employer
Distribute job descriptions at the start of the new school year or semester and allow interested applicants to apply. Provide application forms that allow students to express their qualifications and prior experience. Middle schoolers like the challenge of writing a paragraph on why they are the best candidate for the job and listing references.
Generally, classroom jobs fall into three categories: housekeeping, media assistance, and secretarial. Specialized subject area jobs can be added to tap the interest and talents of students and needs of the subject teacher.
Housekeeping
- Housekeeper – dust classroom weekly including shelves, displays, tables, carts, computers, counters, file cabinets.
- Paper patrol – walk through rows at end of class making sure no paper or pencils are on floor while still getting to next class on time.
- Pencil sharpener – empty pencil sharpener(s) contents into recycling bucket daily when dismissed from class. Shavings will be placed in compost bin for garden.
- Recycler – coordinate recycling of classroom paper and pencil shavings with grade level reps. Transport paper and shaving to central recycling area.
- Bulletin Boards – post papers on bulletin board or refresh board with missing staples or tacks. Maintain neat attractive current bulletin boards with teacher.
- Bird Feeder – stock feeder when empty. Periodically clean feeder.
- Indoor Plants – water plants when soil is dry, usually once per week. Recycle dead leaves or flowers in garden compost bin. Change water in vases with flowers.
Media Assistance
- Greeter of guest speakers – meet guests in school office and escort to class. Prepare and present an oral introduction of guest to class. Escort speaker to main office after presentation.
- Photographer – use a digital camera to photograph indoor and outdoor classroom activities, guest speakers, and special events. Post photographs in classroom.
- Computer assistant – turn computers on or off when necessary. Assists students with computer usage problems. Alerts teacher to computer problems.
- TV/DVD assistant – set up TV/DVD for instructional videos.
- Overhead projector – clean overhead projector transparencies after checking with teacher at end of class/week.
- Graphic designer – create posters, note cards, graphic art for bulletin boards and class projects
Secretarial
- Collect/distribute papers – check paper file daily for papers to be distributed to students. Collect papers passed down row and store in correct period file. Distribute direction or project sheets so teacher may explain to students.
- Secretary – write thank you notes to guest speakers from class, prepare get well notes for class to sign for long-term illnesses, take exemplary class notes to share with absent students. Secretary greets substitutes showing them the substitute folder and making them aware of daily routines.
- Librarian – return classroom resource books to school library at end of unit or project, keeps account of library books in classroom
Specialized Subject Area Jobs
Each subject area teacher has specialized jobs that can be added to the aforementioned. A science teacher may like using lab assistants or outdoor garden supervisors. Subject area teachers requiring the keeping of a notebook may request a student to lead class reviews of notebook prior to tests. Students may conduct flash card drills of vocabulary terms or mentor mainstreamed or ESL students.
Students learn much more than subject matter in middle school. Classroom jobs are part of the social milieu too.
Sources
Mayhew, Katherine Camp and Anna Camp Edwards. The Dewey School. New York: Atherton Press, 1966.
Arlene Marturano - Arlene Marturano, an educator, consultant, master gardener, and writer advocates gardens as a context and gardening as a tool for ...
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