Shift #2: Ownership with Jobs

I wonder if I am old fashion?  Do you still have classroom jobs?  I love the idea of everyone has their "job" to do in our classroom.  This is a message that I send the first week of school.  It could be a shift for some students because your job is not just individualized it is a community responsibility.  Just like at home, you have a job to do.  It is not a chore it is a privilege because your job is supporting everyone in our class. 

I get some interesting looks when I say it's a privilege to have a job this year. And before they even ask, "Yes everyone will have a job."   Every Friday during our class meeting, I choose names out of the bucket and they can choose their job.  There is no right to "pass" either.  And yes the last name drawn gets the last job.  While I am on my soapbox for a moment, I always ask who has a job at home?  It saddens me as the hands that are raised up have been dwindling over the years. Most of these are self explanatory; however, the two shifts this year are with Twitter and Quote Master.

Shift #2:  Ownership with Jobs

• The List of Jobs
• Messenger
• Friday Folders
• Inspector
• Twitter
• Quote Master

TWITTER:  Our class has a twitter handle (@228bes) and for the first few years I sent all the tweets (I know I know not a good choice) last two years the students took over tweeting, but I only had them tweet at the end of day.  

The shift that will happen this year will be the student can tweet all day.  I even envision them taking the iPad to art, music, gym, and special classes if they want too. I will give them an iPad which will allow them to take more pictures even videos etc. Having the twitter job has HUGE responsibility and that will be an important conversation the first few weeks of school.  

QUOTE MASTER: is a new job this year.  I tried it out last year a few different ways. I used quotes in the morning message, wrote them on a small dry erase board and also a glitter board (thanks JoEllen). But again I felt like I had the ownership and honestly not much conversation happened from the quotes. This year, it's a job.  I purchased a few quote books to have in a tub and students are going to choose a quote from those books or find their own on the internet.  They will have the weekend and Monday to choose their quote. Their job is to write it on morning message by Tuesday and during Friday's class meeting the owner of the quote will explain why they chose it and write in our this year's quote book.  I will model for them the first week.  We will see where this leads us..... Check back more shifts to come.