How Classroom Jobs for Teens Instill Responsibility
When middle and high school students take ownership of tasks in their classroom regularly, they build a culture of teamwork and support.
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Go to My Saved Content.Meredith Howard, a history and social studies teacher at Albert Hill Middle School in Richmond, Virginia, sees the many benefits that come from teens taking on classroom jobs. But her initial inspiration was straightforward: “It was simply a time saver and a job saver for me so I can put more of my energy toward actually teaching.”
At the beginning of the school year, Howard demonstrates all of the jobs during the first couple of weeks. Then, she asks interested students to apply to one or more jobs, citing their skills that would make them especially successful. Someone in charge of helping absent students, for example, needs to have excellent attendance. She then assigns students to various jobs, which they keep for the entire school year unless they retire (Howard has never had to fire anyone).
Within a few weeks, students conduct their jobs without being asked or reminded. It relieves Howard of administrative tasks, and it promotes a classroom that flows smoothly from one activity to another. Before the bell rings, the Whiteboard Manager updates the whiteboard with that day’s agenda, learning targets, and homework. Then, the Attendance Monitor announces the attendance question of the day and counts off. If anyone is absent, the Absent Helper collects that day’s handouts and writes the student’s name on them.
Though this is more common in preschool and elementary settings, Howard is a big proponent of assigning classroom jobs to older kids and teens. Secondary students are capable of taking initiative, keeping track of tasks, and reporting information accurately. And they take their responsibilities seriously. Beginning early in the school year, their peers begin to rely on them to deliver graded papers, check that they’ve written down the homework correctly, and sing to them on their birthdays. The result? A classroom culture in which everyone contributes—and everyone takes ownership of their learning.
Download a list of student jobs and their descriptions from Howard’s classroom. The PDF also includes a draft of her application form.