Student Contributor: M. Nelson
The daily helper is when one student is selected to be the daily helper for the day. This student helps the teacher with whatever they need including closing the door, turning off the light, line leader, etc. This is helpful because it allows this one student to take responsibility in the classroom and the other students are
The teacher will choose a daily helper by going down their classroom list. My mentor teacher separates boys and girls on the list because it allows students to feel the teacher isn’t choosing the boys over the girls or vice versa. The students get excited when they can look at the list and see if it’s their turn for the day. The students also tend to keep track of when their day is so they can be present that day. When the teacher has a daily helper they will turn off lights, close the door, be line leader, and lead the weatherboard, the concept board, and the calendar board. The daily helper is learning the responsibility of being a leader and helping the teacher. Once the day has ended the teacher will highlight or cross-out the same of the student that has helped out for the day.
In my placement class, the students are always excited to see whose day it is and the other students are excited for the daily helper. The daily helper also chooses helpers to hold doors or grab the lunch bin. This is my first experience in a classroom without classroom jobs and to my surprise the students react well to this tool.
I feel this tool should be in the preventative phase because when established at the beginning of the school year, the rest of the students shouldn't cause problems or fight about who should do what in the classroom. This tool creates safety and internal motivation while preventing students from fighting about the line leader or turning off the light.
I believe this phase follows student-directed because the student is taking on the responsibility of leadership and helper for the day. When this tool is routine for the students they begin to know what they need to do throughout the day without asking questions making this tool student-directed because they are doing things independently to help the teacher and create a safe classroom environment.
More Information –
Tool Source: My mentor teacher
