I’ve always been a fan of a good classroom job chart. It makes me feel like I’m teaching my students responsibility and important life skills, and it makes it seem as if my class is working as a team–sometimes. On the other hand, maintaining a job chart can be a hassle, and sometimes it feels like it’s just one more thing for me to manage. So, this year, I’m going to try something new. Instead of a job chart, I am going to choose a STAR (Student Taking All Responsibilities) of the WEEK–and by that, I mean one child every week who gets the “privilege” of doing all our class chores. Here’s why I think this will be a better system.

1. It will be less work for me.

The hard part about a classroom job chart isn’t making the chart. It’s managing the continually revolving jobs schedule. Each week, I have to remind everyone to check the chart. Then I have to listen to multiple complaints about which job they got. When jobs inevitably don’t get done, I have to track down the negligent students and remind them that “everyone has a job to do.” With only one kid on the job a week, it will be a lot less to keep up with.

2. The STAR of the Week will learn a very important life lesson.

When a child’s only job is to empty the trash or wipe down the tables once a day, that hardly requires time management or perseverance. But by putting one child in charge of all the classroom chores–emptying the trash, wiping down tables, watering the plants, picking up trash, tidying the classroom, etc.–I will be giving the STAR real responsibility that will require thoughtfulness and dedication. It won’t be easy, and it won’t always be fun–and that is an important life lesson every kid needs to learn.

3. The job will come with a lot of perks.

Lest you think that being STAR of the Week is just an ironic title for the class servant, the STAR will also get to do all the coveted jobs, too, such as passing out papers, running errands, being line leader, wearing a cool hat or a paper crown. Being STAR of the Week will be a real lesson in the old adage that with great privilege comes great responsibility.

4. Being STAR of the Week will potentially provide the opportunity for a true sense of accomplishment.

When there are multiple students doing multiple jobs, it can be easy to overlook a job done well (or a job done poorly) because there is so much going on at once. But when one child is in charge of everything, they can truly stand out. It will be easier for me to praise a job well done, point out a job neglected, or correct work done sloppily. I think this kind of one-on-one attention to detail will benefit my kids far more than an ever-rotating list of chores.

Of course, the STAR of the Week system isn’t for everyone. Teachers of older students will need to modify it to include perks other than line leader and fun-hat-wearer. Some teachers might want to have two STARs each week or a “president and vice president” to divide the labors. Also, if you are the kind of teacher for whom job charts are a breeze and a well-oiled machine, the STAR of the Week might not be right for you. But some teachers are like me. We are looking for one less thing to keep up with and for more opportunities to give students one-on-one instruction and individualized, task-specific praise. For us, the STAR of the Week Program is a perfect fit.

star of the Week