Classroom jobs are an amazing way to build a sense of community in the classroom. Assigning your students daily or weekly tasks gives them a sense of responsibility and ownership for their learning environment. In addition, classroom jobs teach kids important practical skills that they will use throughout their lifetime.
With the help of our friends in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook, we’ve gathered a list of 60 classroom jobs for students from preschool through high school, as well as some tips from teachers. All of the jobs may not apply at all levels, but they can be adapted for kids of any age.
Tips From Teachers
“Everyone who is in the classroom takes care of the classroom.” —Kathryn R.
“It’s really important for students to have a ‘job’ each day. The purpose of having classroom jobs for our students is to instill a sense of responsibility for their learning environment.” —Kristin G.
“I have actually had better success with choosing two students at the beginning of the week to do the jobs like messenger, lunch table washer, etc. The rest of the classroom jobs, like straightening the book shelf, cleaning the floor, etc., is all hands on deck. It’s ‘our’ classroom so everyone pitches in on those jobs. It has worked wonders.” —Sandy S.
“Every child has a classroom job. They love the responsibility, it helps with behavior, and it helps create a positive classroom community.”—Carolyn N.
Classroom Jobs
1. Absent-Student Helper
This student checks in with classmates when they return from an absence to make sure they know what was missed and are aware of upcoming assignments. They also send an encouraging message to students who are out for more than two days.
2. Announcer
The chosen student will be the teacher’s personal megaphone, using a LOUD voice to make any announcements for the teacher. (Especially helpful for teachers who are prone to laryngitis!)
3. Assistant Teacher
Be available to answer student questions if the teacher is busy with other students. Be in charge if the teacher is on the phone or has to step out of the classroom briefly.
4. Attendance Reminder
Speaking from personal experience, some teachers seem to have a mental block when it comes to turning in attendance. This student will help their teacher remember to let the office know who’s there and who’s not.
5. Bathroom Monitor
Check bathrooms to make sure they are clean before students go in and after students come out. Monitor traffic to make sure only three or four students are in each bathroom at one time.
6. Birthday Manager
This student keeps track of classmates’ birthdays and checks to see if they want it publicly acknowledged or not. If they pass, the birthday manager discretely gives them a card on their special day.
7. Book Recommendations Chart Monitor
Make sure that the leaves on the Book Recommendations tree are still attached and the suggestion box supplies (leaf cut-outs and pens) are neat and organized.
8. Botanist
@LexMontessori/practical life skills via X (formerly Twitter)
Take care of classroom plants. Water on schedule. Remove any dead leaves. Wipe away any spilled dirt.
9. Brain Break Chooser
Select the activity for classroom brain breaks.
10. Breakfast Monitor
Pass out breakfast bars and other supplies. Make sure trays and trash are returned to the breakfast cart.
11. Caboose
@Camille Phillips/Carver Charter School via Texas Public Radio
Be the last person in line and make sure the line is staying straight and together.
12. Calendar Helper
Change the date on the daily calendar or classroom whiteboard.
13. Cell Phone Security
Monitor the cell phone check-in area to make sure all students are checking their phones in. Take note of anyone gathering around the cell phone storage area. Make sure students are not sneaking their phones out.
14. Chair Stacker
Church Interiors/stackable chairs via churchinteriors4kids.com
Unstack chairs at the beginning of the day, and make sure all students have stacked their chairs at the end of the day.
15. Class Ambassador
Be the special assistant to substitute teachers. Answer any questions they may have. Help them with anything they ask you to do.
16. Clerk
File papers for the teacher.
17. Compost Specialist
Onfokus/boy emptying compost via iStock
Empty the compost bin and make sure it is rinsed out at the end of each day.
18. Cubby Checker
Make sure all backpacks and coats are hung on hooks. Make sure all personal belongings are tucked neatly into cubbies, not on the floor.
19. Desk Inspector
Make sure all students’ desktops are neat and tidy before the class leaves the room for lunch, recess, or specials.
20. Door Manager
Two-person job: One person holds the classroom door when students are leaving the room. The other opens and holds the door when class is going into the computer lab, library, lunchroom, etc.
21. Floor Sweeper
India Today/students sweeping via India Today
Two-person job: After everyone picks up paper scraps, school supplies, etc., off of the floor at the end of the day, sweep any debris into the dust pan and dispose of them.
22. Friday Folder Helper
Make sure Friday folders are organized in alphabetical order. Check folders on Thursday afternoon to see whose folders are missing and ask them to bring their folders in on Friday. Help stuff Friday folders if a parent volunteer needs help.
23. Greeter
Answer the door when someone visits the classroom. Answer the phone when it rings.
24. Hand Sanitizer
Give a squirt of hand sanitizer to every student who wants one as the class leaves the room for lunch and when they come in from recess.
25. Homework Checker
Use the homework clipboard with the class name list attached to mark who has and who has not turned in their homework every day. Leave the list on the teacher’s desk.
26. Job Board Monitor
Primrose Schools/girl job chart via primroseschools.com
Make sure the job board is in good shape (no parts have fallen off or been moved). Move cards (or clothespins or Popsicle sticks, etc.) when the time comes to rotate jobs.
27. Joke Teller of the Day
Close your day with a little humor. This job can be for one person or a pair of students who look up a particularly funny joke to tell at closing circle.
28. Kindness Detective
Try to “catch” classmates performing acts of kindness and record their names and good deeds on a kindness ticket. Put the tickets into the bowl on the teacher’s desk so that those students can be recognized at Friday circle.
29. Librarian
Tickled Pink in Primary/boys organizing books via tickledpinkinprimary.com
Make sure all classroom library books and textbooks are put back neatly on the proper shelves. Once a week, make sure school library books are put into the classroom basket before class leaves for library. Choose a friend to help carry the basket to the library.
30. Lights Monitor
Make sure lights are turned off each time the class leaves the classroom. Turn lights back on when the class returns. Monitor the lights whenever the teacher needs assistance.
31. Line Leader
Lead the class down the hall in a responsible and respectful way whenever they are going somewhere. Pay attention to teacher directions and stop the line whenever directed to do so.
32. Lunch Luggers
Paul Solarz/boy with lunch basket via Weebly
Many classroom teachers use laundry baskets to hold students’ lunch boxes. The team of luggers is responsible for carrying the basket to the cafeteria and returning it to the classroom after lunch.
33. Lunch Count Recorder
Help the teacher with hot lunch/cold lunch count each morning. Take lunch count tickets down to the cafeteria.
34. Morning Message Scribe
This student is in charge of writing an inspirational quote or message on the board each morning.
35. Paper Passers
Guadalupe Centers Elementary/girl passing paper via showmekcschools.org
This student will help hand out and collect papers whenever the teacher asks for assistance.
36. Mystery Box Manager
Choose an object from the classroom (secretly) and put it in the mystery box. Write clues about the mystery item, then read the clues aloud during circle time and pick students to make guesses.
37. Noise Monitor
Help monitor the noise level in the classroom. Encourage students to be respectful when it starts to get loud. When the teacher gives the signal, turn off the lights until it quiets down.
38. Nurse Escort
This student accompanies anyone who needs to take a trip to the nurse’s office. Once they safely transport their classmate, they can return to class and report any news they may have.
39. On Call
Be ready to be a substitute for absent students who are not there to do their job.
40. On Vacation
Take a break! You’re off-duty this week.
41. Parent Communications Manager
Pass out notes that need to go home to families. Help the teacher keep track of signed permission slips that come back.
42. Pencil Patrol
Collect any stray pencils at the end of the day. Sharpen all pencils and place them in the “Sharp Pencil” holder.
43. Poet
Encourage a love of poetry in your classroom with this job. Each week, have a student or a pair of students find a poem to share with their classmates. Reserve a few moments in your agenda for them to recite their find.
44. Recess Supply Manager
Be responsible for taking the bucket with recess supplies (balls, jump ropes, Frisbees, etc.) out to recess. Make sure students return supplies to the bucket on their way in. Return the bucket to its designated spot.
45. Recycling Specialist
Kim Miller/boy with recycling bin via aloveofteaching.com
Monitor the trash and recycling center. Make sure students are recycling properly. Take the recycle bin down to the collection spot at the end of the day.
46. Researcher
Help the teacher answer questions during discussion time by researching information on the internet or in books or notes.
47. Rug Cleaner
Make sure all scraps are picked up off of the circle-time rug, and run the vacuum at least once a week.
48. Runner
Run any classroom errands that the teacher may need.
49. Schedule Monitor
This person checks off items on the class agenda to keep everyone on track.
50. Science Lab Assistant
Help the teacher pass out materials and paper for science labs.
51. Sink Cleaner
Kinderheim/boy washing hands via Weebly
Make sure the classroom sink is free of debris and wiped out at the end of the day.
52. Supply Shelf Manager
Manage the classroom supply center. Make sure all supplies are in the right place and not intermixed. Notify the teacher if the supply of any material is getting low.
53. Table Captains
Rotate table captains every week so all of your students get the opportunity to provide leadership to their cohort.
54. Table Wiper
Public Health Institute/girl washing desk via phi.org
Wipe down the tables with a rag and cleaning solution at the end of the day.
55. Tech Team
Make sure classroom computers are turned on in the morning and off at the end of the day. Help classmates with any tech questions. Help the teacher pass out Chromebooks or other laptops. Make sure the computer cart is plugged in at the end of the day so that devices can charge overnight.
56. Timekeeper
Help the teacher keep track of the time during classroom activities and when it is time to make transitions.
57. Trash Squad
Pioneer Elementary School/students emptying trash via pioneerschool.us
Check the floor at the end of the day and point out any waste on the floor for the person sitting closest to it to throw away. Empty the classroom trash bin into the hall trash bin at the end of the day.
58. Weather Watcher
Keep track of the daily weather and record it on the classroom weather chart.
59. Whiteboard Cleaner
Responsive Classroom/girl cleaning whiteboard via responsiveclassroom.org
Wipe down whiteboards at the end of the day. Put cleaning materials back where they belong when you are done. Inform the teacher when the cleaning fluid is getting low.
60. Zoologist
Make sure the classroom pet is fed and watered daily. Make sure their container is clean.
