Hello, Readers. I decided to take Joel up on his offer of EduBloggers Gone Wild. My name is Miss A and you can find me at Confessions From the Couch. I am beginning my 4th year of teaching in an urban school district and no longer under new teacher status. I feel like I’m at a place where I must CONTRIBUTE to the edublogging community. As I enter into the this new phase of my career, I am using blogging as a reflective and personal growth tool-with limited complaining and griping-because I love my job and the impact it has on my life. My goal is to share my ideas as well as solicit the ideas of other teachers out there.
I really didn’t know what to write here, so, I decided to repost something that I just posted on my own blog. Background: In my first years of teaching I dealt with classroom management problems more than teaching. What I realized in my 3rd year was the division of labor in my classroom was off balance-me doing everything = chaos. I know that students want to help. So, I plan give them the opportunity help my classroom community as well as take responsibility for what happens there.
What I did was build the jobs around some of the classroom management issues that I have in my classroom. Each job will be worth extra credit points on your final term grade-up to 6 points. The number of points will be based on how much work one has and how often they must do their chores. If a student fails to do their job regularly, at first they will lose points. Eventually, they may have to be fired. (On a side note: I fired my 1st period paper passer outer last year.-so I’m bold and will do it-and the students get a kick out of it.)
At the beginning of the year, I will offer the job up to volunteers. If there is more than one person who wants a particular job, I will draw from a hat. In the future, I think we will take volunteers and have elections for high demand positions. So if a student does not want to have a job, they don’t ever have to. A large part of what I did was based on Mrs. Newinghams Classroom Economy. When you see her site you will fall in LOVE with her work. So here are my TENTATIVE classroom jobs and their job descriptions.
|
Job Title |
Job Description |
Points Earned |
|
Sanitation Commissioner |
This person will make sure the classroom is clean and orderly at the end of class. They will take up trash at the end of class and ask students to clean up behind themselves. The goal is make sure the class is clean and ready for the next class. The Sanitation Commissioner may end up being the last person out of class at the end of the period. |
3 |
|
Class Clerk/Asst. Class Clerk |
These students will pass out all papers and supplies as we need them. The class clerks will return graded papers during the Warm Up. Supplies and other items will be taken up at the end of the hour. They will need to do this job automatically without being told! (I am considering having a place where they know that if things placed on the work table they will distribute them during bellwork time) |
6/4 |
|
Class Secretary/Assistant Secretary |
The person will complete the assignment book on a daily basis. |
4/2 |
|
Administrative Assistant (Miss A’s Assistant |
This person will answer the class telephone when I in the middle of the lesson with an appropriate script. They will run errands as needed. They will make me aware of questions on the Parking Lot. The administrative Assistant is my flunkie and basically is there to help me when I need it. (I am considering combining this job with |
6 |
|
Environmentalist |
This person will be in charge of making sure our environment is set for whatever we are doing for that day. The will hit the lights, open windows, odor control, etc. |
3 |
|
Class Reporter |
This person will make class announcements. (I thought this was a fun position.) I will have the announcements written, but this person will verbalize them, so I don’t have to keep repeating myself everyday, every hour. |
2 |
|
Foreign Ambassador |
This person will welcome visitors and new students. They will help the new student adjust and keep them filled in until the newbie comfortable. The Foreign Ambassador maybe have a couple empty desks around them for the purpose of completing their job |
3 |
|
Time Keeper |
This person will keep time during class. They will let me know when my 12 minutes of lecture time are up and when there is 7 minutes left in class—to go through the wrap up. The time keeper will keep time of task as a direct. |
3 |
|
Blog Techie |
This person will come after school and help me with the blog, updating it with information from the secretary log. |
6 |
|
Librarian |
Responsible for making sure that the classroom library is orderly at the end of class and books are stack the way I like them. |
2 |
|
Clean Up Crew |
One student from each class will come after school to clean off the boards, wipe down desks, dust, close windows and help prepare the room for the next day. |
6 |
