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I let the children decide (after about two weeks of school) what needs to be done. We brainstorm enough jobs for everyone to have a responsibility each week. This year my students brainstormed the following jobs...
- Historian - writes one page a week to summarize what we did and studied
that week. The page then goes into a three ring binder. At the end of the
year, we have a "history" book of our year.
- Photographer - Takes one picture a day of whatever they choose. When developed,
they must write a caption for the picture, including names and events. These
pictures get glued onto paper, with the caption next to it. Then the pages
get laminated and become our scrapbook.
- Housekeepers - check floors and clean tables
- Handwasher - squirts hand sanitizer on each child's hands before lunch
and after recess or hands-on activities
- Technician - turns lights on and off for overhead projector use, maintains
thermostat upon teacher request, turns computer on at the beginning of the
day and off at the end.
- Lunch Duty - tables and chairs at lunch.
- Materials Management - checks materials at centers and keeps inventory,
lets teacher know what needs to be restocked from the stock room.
- Librarian and Library Assistant - maintains check in/out of books, keeps
library organized.
- Secretary - takes notes for absent people, hands out class papers, books,
and folders.
- Delivery - takes lunch count to cafeteria, takes notes to office, takes
attendance down in the morning.
- Botanist - waters plants.
- We also have five government positions. Our mayor starts our pledge everyday,
serves as line leader, and runs class meetings. He/she appoints a town manager
to help them, stand in for them when they are absent, and he/she keeps time
for the class, setting the alarm clock for work times since I lose track
of time. We also have a sheriff who serves as hall monitor and class monitor
when I am out of the room or am involved with an adult visitor. Our tax collector
takes up money, homework, and class supplies that people bring in. Our Clerk
of Court passes out graded work, takes minutes of our meetings, and takes
attendance in the mornings. I have a chart at the front of the room with
cards. Each card has a child's name on it. The posters have pockets on them
and each pocket has the job title and description on it. Then the cards go
in the pockets. The government positions last for a month and the normal
jobs last two weeks - per class decision.
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