Call me old school if you want…but I REALLYYY enjoy a calm, controlled classroom. Are you with me?! In my elementary music classroom, just a knock on the door can send kids into a tizzy! They hear a knock and four or five kids RUN to the door like they’re in the Kentucky Derby! I decided enough was enough. I’ve got to figure out a way to solve this problem! So, I put on my elementary music classroom management hat and got to work!
How did I fix this issue?
Drum roll please….CLASSROOM JOBS! The solution to all of the interruptions in my classroom was implementing classroom jobs to alleviate the chaos! I now have three classroom jobs: Teacher Helper, Door Opener, and Cleaner Upper. (You can name the jobs whatever works best for your classroom!)
How do I set up classroom jobs?
1. Every student has a numbered sit spot they sit on every time they come to music class.
2. Every student has a music cubby with their number on it. (See the cubbies in the picture below)
3. I put a Palm Pal on their cubby to determine who has a classroom job for that class period.
4. I post a “classroom job key” on the board so students know what Palm Pal represents which job.
What if a student is absent, what happens then?
If a student is absent on their assigned classroom job day, the other two students with classroom jobs will share that absent student’s responsibility. If students want to hold their Palm Pal, they absolutely can! Palm Pals are great for regulation! Although, if the Palm Pal becomes a distraction, the student must place it back in their cubby.
How do you keep up with all of this?
With a spreadsheet, of course! 🙂 I created a Classroom Management Start Up Kit that will help you get this started in your own elementary music classroom!
Why should you have classroom jobs?
Implementing classroom jobs will result in a smoother-running classroom, making your job easier, while also teaching students responsibility. The students have such a sense of ownership in the classroom because they are HELPING. Everybody wants to help! Classroom jobs are a WIN-WIN because it benefits the teacher AND the students!
