32 meaningful classroom job ideas - a list for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students

32 Meaningful Classroom Job Ideas for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Students

32 meaningful classroom job ideas - a list for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students

Classroom jobs are a great way to help get 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students excited about helping out in the classroom. And as a HUGE added bonus, having an organized classroom job system can really help save you time.

The classroom jobs list below contains 32 possible jobs you could have in your upper elementary classroom. Not every classroom job will work in every classroom, so pick and choose the jobs that work for you.

Rotating jobs daily or weekly can add stress to your life instead of being helpful.  If you need help implementing a classroom job system that actually helps save you time and stress, check out this system!

Making these jobs meaningful for students will help them take ownership and complete their jobs with care.  Make sure students understand how their job is helping you and helping the classroom.  If you don't see the job as actually helpful, don't assign it to your students.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, so if you choose to click the link and buy I might get a small compensation at no cost to you.

Classroom Jobs List: 32 Ideas

1. Line Leader

This student is the first person in line and responsible for leading your class in the hallway.  The line leader has to know how to get to different places around the school.

This student could also be responsible for stopping in certain places to wait for anyone whom might be lagging behind.

2. Caboose

This student is the last person in line and responsible for closing the door when you leave the classroom.

3. Hallway Monitor

This student is responsible for monitoring hallway behavior and letting you know of any major problems.

4. Bathroom Monitors

These students are responsible for monitoring bathroom behavior and making sure the bathrooms remain clean. (Find more tips on managing bathroom procedures here.)

5. Door Holder

This student is responsible for opening doors and holding doors open for your class.  It's often easiest to have the door holder be the 2nd person in line, after the line leader.  This gives the door holder easy access to doors.

6. Lights Monitor

This student is responsible for turning the lights on and off when you leave and enter the class and other times a light change is necessary.

7. Encourager

This student is responsible for noticing when other students look lonely or sad, and then talking to and encouraging that student.  This is a great way to begin to create a culture of kindness in your classroom.

8. Clipboard Holder

If you use a clipboard to keep track of behavior or other things, then this student is responsible for always knowing where that clipboard is for you, and for carrying it when you need somebody to hold it for you. (A clipboard is one of my 11 Must-Haves for the Upper Elementary Classroom!)

9. Bag Carrier

This student is responsible for carrying anything you might need to transport when you are going from one place to another.

These teacher bags are perfect for this job.  🙂

10. New Student Helper

This student is assigned to be a friend and helper to any new student that enters your classroom. Have the New Student Helper be responsible for helping new students understand classroom procedures, learn their way around the school, and making sure the new student has somebody to talk to at lunch and recess.
No Prep Prefix, Suffix, and Base Words Activities for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade

These no prep activities make teaching prefixes, suffixes, and base words fun and easy. It includes:

  • prefix and suffix charts
  • hands-on word building activities
  • fun mazes
  • scavenger hunts
  • ...and more

Help your students become better and decoding multisyllabic words with this Prefix, Suffix, and Base Words Resource!

11. Emergency Drill Assistant

This student is responsible for carrying your emergency bag in case of an evacuation drill.

12. Attendance Monitor

This student helps with attendance, letting you know who is absent.  You could also make this student responsible for collecting work for anyone who is absent.

13. Trash Monitor

This student is responsible for making sure other students are keeping the classroom clean and not leaving trash on the floor.

14. Recycling Monitor

This student monitors the recycling bins and helps whenever recycling is picked up.

15. Zookeeper

This student is responsible for taking care of a class pet you might have.

16. Botanist

This student is responsible for taking care of any plants you might have in your classroom.
Math Maze Freebie for 3rd and 4th grade students for additional math review - addition, comparing numbers, decomposing numbers

17. Materials Manager

This student is responsible for passing out whatever materials you might need passed out for a lesson (math manipulatives, books, dry erase markers, etc.)

18. Paper Passer Outer

This student is responsible for passing out papers for you. It can be helpful to have more than one paper passer outer to save time.

19. Board Cleaner

This student is responsible for erasing your boards at the end of the day - chalkboards or dry erase boards!

20. Uniform Checker

If your school requires uniforms, this student checks to make sure that students are wearing the appropriate uniform and have their shirts tucked in.

21. Librarian

This student makes sure that your classroom library remains neat and organized.  (If you are looking to reorganize your classroom library, check out this classroom library checkout system.)

22. Cutting Assistant

This student helps with any cutting you might need done in advance to prepare any centers, games, or activities.

23. Pencil Sharpener

This student is responsible for sharpening pencils for you or for the entire class, depending on how you manage pencil procedures in your classroom.

The pencil sharpener below is popular amongst teachers who have been driven crazy by the manual pencil sharpeners that schools provide.

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11/15/2024 07:12 am GMT

24. Technology Assistant

This student can help you if you need any technical assistance, or they can help other students who might need help with their computers or other technology.  If you have computers or tablets in the classroom, then the technology assistant could be responsible for monitoring that area.

25. Chair Stacker

This student is responsible for making sure all of the chairs get stacked at the end of the day.

26. Photographer

This student is responsible for taking pictures to help document what is happening in your classroom.

27. Desk Checker

This student checks to make sure students desks are clean and organized.

28. Hand Sanitizer Assistant

This student is responsible for distributing hand sanitizer to each student anytime this is necessary.

29. Reminder Monitor

This student responsible for reminding you of things you forgot to do, or things you knew you might forget to do later.

For example, if you are in the hallway and notice a student doing something exceptionally kind, ask the reminder monitor to remind you to reward that student later - perhaps with one of these fun ways to celebrate kindness in the classroom.

Or, if you know you will need to remind your students about an upcoming field trip at the end of the day, ask the reminder monitor to remind you of that at the end of the day.

Or, if you consistently forget to take attendance, the reminder monitor can be responsible for reminding you of this daily.

30. Substitute

This student is responsible for taking over the classroom jobs of any student who is absent.

31. Errand Runner

This student is responsible for running any errands you might need run (notes to the office, to other teachers, etc.).

32. Kindness Monitor/Recorder

This kindness job could work in a variety of ways - whatever you classroom needs the most.

You could have a kindness recorder - someone who is assigned to record any kindness you see.  Keep track of kindness in the classroom all year.

Or, have a student be in charge of looking for opportunities to be kind to other students in the classroom.

Check out these other ideas for creating a culture of kindness in your upper elementary classroom.

Bonus Classroom Job Idea: Teacher's Helper

This student does all of the other jobs you need assistance with that aren’t covered by your regular classroom jobs.

Choosing what jobs to give your students is easy - creating a system that is useful and easy to implement is the important part.  Check out this easy to manage classroom job system.  

You might also find some of these other classroom management ideas for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade useful.

Never Stress Over Sub Plans Again!

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Make copies, find a fiction book, and you'll be ready for any emergency that comes your way!

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