How To Get Your Students To Help Around The Classroom

Need help getting your students to help out around the classroom? As a mom and a teacher, I understand the importance of giving children responsibilities and tasks to teach them to be responsible. Even in the classroom, I used strategies to get my students to work together (and with me) to keep our classroom running smoothly.

Getting your students to work as a team can take your classroom management to the next level.

Seriously though, teachers have enough on their plates. The last thing we need is to have clean up after the kids each and every day. I’ve seen teachers who do this and I am not one to judge.

BUT it does get exhausting (especially after a full day of teaching, behavior management, grading, planning, data meetings, afternoon duty & more). Coming back into your classroom and seeing it looks like a hurricane passed by is NOT how you should end your day.

You can avoid teacher burnout by teaching your students classroom responsibilities.

1. First, get yourself some hand-held sweepers from the dollar store. I’d get at least five to seven. You want EVERY kid to have a task. This is by FAR the job that the kids always fight over, so you want enough sweepers to avoid fighting. Yes, they will be so excited to use them and you’ll wonder WHY they are so excited to be cleaning!
   
   I also invested in a $25 non-electric sweeper like the ones they have a Dennys! Two words for you, teacher friend….GAME. CHANGER. This is the one I use!
   
   
2. Next, give the next group of kids a Lysol wipe. If you have a trustworthy student, they can be in charge of handing out one Lysol wipe at a time. This helps them feel important and it gives you yet another job for the kids. Students can wipe down desks, tables, doorknobs, etc while your Lysol wipe “distributor” gives a new Lysol wipe as needed.
   
   With all the germs going around, I don’t skimp on this job. I instruct my Lysol wipe “distributor” to give out 1 wipe per desk or table.
   
   
3. So far you should have most of your students busy with either sweeping or disinfecting. There is so much more to do! Have students, organize seating or chairs. I have flexible seating so my students know to put the pillows in the pillow section, the yoga balls in the yoga ball section, etc!
   
   
4. Have other students put away materials such as whiteboards, books, and even sharpen pencils. It’s important to teach your students team work by giving EVERYONE a job to do. Plus, the classroom will look better faster with everyone pitching in!
   

Getting your students to help out around the classroom is part of my survival method as a teacher to avoid getting burned out!

(seriously though, am I the only one in survival mode over here?)

I know it seems like it’s a lot of work, but it only should take 10-15 minutes at the end of the school day (maybe 20 if you teach primary grades). You don’t want to take away from instructional time so it’s important to only use that “packing-up time” at the end of the day.

My students LOVE doing these tasks and it definitely beats putting on a video or making your students sit and read quietly (especially if they’ve been reading all day).

Let’s face it, after 6 or 7 hours of constant learning and working, they are BEAT!

This gives your students something productive to do and teaches responsibility to your students. About 15 minutes before dismissal, go into cleaning mode with the kids. The kids will understand the work it takes to prepare for the next day and the importance of cleaning up after themselves.

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