Classroom jobs are a great way to get your students involved, instill a sense of pride in the classroom, and delegate some of the time-consuming tasks busy teachers can't fit into their schedule. Miss Amy, a fifth grade teacher from Arkansas and avid member of A to Z Teacher Stuff Forums, decided to put a new spin on this classroom management, offering up want ads for open classroom positions providing students with a descriptive list of the jobs that needed to be taken care of and allowing them to volunteer for the ones that fit their skill sets and interests. The best part is, the board is simple to create!

Help Wanted Bulletin Board

• Background: The classified ad section of your local newspaper.
• Title: "Help Wanted" or "Classroom Classifieds".
• Border: Plain black bulletin board trimmer.
• Decoration: On white card stock carefully script or use word processing software to print the job titles you wish to have filled (i.e. Substitute Liaison, Clutter Controller, Librarian, Lunch Box Carrier, etc.). Add a construction paper border to match. On a separate piece of card stock script or print how many positions are available, how long the position will be, and a short description of the job.

As you still need to make certain that each student participates, provide them with "application" forms to turn in during the first week of school. Have each student list their top three job choices and explain why they feel most qualified for these positions. Carefully explain that you'll be assigning positions on a first-come first-served basis, but as you plan out the school year job chart, be sure each student gets to complete at least one job they requested. Not only will this give your students a look into the "real world", it will give them a sense of pride and responsibility in keeping the classroom running efficiently.

What's your take on classroom jobs? Should they be assigned or chosen by the student? Do you think they should be mandatory or voluntary? Leave us a comment with your thoughts!