Teacher keeps asking Dd to do jobs

[Nextdoorarebangingagain]

Is this a good, bad or nothing…thing (rubbish sentence, but you get the gist)

Dd is almost 8, bright and hard working, but also chatty with friends in class. She’s been saying recently she’s been doing jobs for the teacher-putting kids work in files, going up to the office or another class.
I asked her if others do jobs and she said no, I asked her if she finishes her work and is then asked to help with jobs (she doesn’t ask to do jobs) she said usually

If you’re a teacher in particular, why do you choose certain children to do jobs (i’m wondering if she’s finishing early and being too chatty and distracting others 😬 or something else)

So was I. A lot of children love doing jobs for the teacher. Funnily enough I became a teacher myself.

Your DD sounds like she needs stuff to keep her from distracting others.

This would happen at my child’s old school. They wouldn’t set any extension tasks 😬. In his new school they stretch the children when they are able and he s now working a year above in his maths and English.

My daughter,who has suspected adhd and autism) is often asked to help the teacher. She is also asked to explain tasks to the other kid. They are doing this to build confidence, social interaction, social skills and sometimes burn energy. She's very academic. Is a few years ahead of the other kids academically so it doesn't impact learning. She's a few years behind socially.

ETA: You can ask the teacher he rational. They won't be offended and you might find our something interesting.

See my post also! Not unusual at all it seems.
I was also 10.

This used to happen to me with one teacher when I was in year 5, he even had me marking other children’s work, which I think looking back now was inappropriate.

I have mixed feelings about it tbh, at the time I really loved it and it gave me a lot of confidence, but I think it would have been better if he would have provided me with additional work (like the teachers did in other years) at a higher level instead of tasks to help him with his job.

As a teacher, we do this for all sorts of reasons! I often choose children to go and do a little job for me like take the lunch register to the office if I know they need a confidence boost. One of the children in my class was such a nervous little thing at the beginning of the year and now he’s happy talking to other members of staff, so that’s lovely. Some children need an adult to give them a special ‘responsibility’ and it’s great for their confidence. Some children need a little reset sometimes, so I might give them ‘an important note’ for another teacher. Some need a sensory break, so getting up and walking to collect something for me helps us both. Some children just love helping and will ask if I want help with anything! If I ask the class for a volunteer, 80% of the class has their hand up (I teach Year 5). So yeah, lots of reasons… none of which are ‘we’re too lazy to plan for xyz’, as was so delightfully put by a PP.

@Nextdoorarebangingagain because they show potential and the skills will help later on

Absolutely this. Sending children on jobs gives them a break from the classroom and the other children a break from their disruptive behaviour.
I'd often have an agreement with another teacher that we would send a child to do a job when said child was at capacity for sitting down quietly, and likely to get themselves in trouble.

This is so far from the truth. Secondary teacher here and I teach multiple students who have support plans which state that giving them a job and keeping them busy helps them regulate their behaviour.

The children in my school love a job (once they’ve finished their work). Whether that’s coming to the office with a msg, giving a msg to another teacher. Sometimes the Yr6 children will come to the office during lunchtime and answer the phone, they know how to do this. As long as your Dd has finished her work there’s nothing wrong with doing jobs. It’s not the teacher being lazy, if there’s no TA the teacher can’t leave the classroom.

I told my son’s teacher to give him jobs if he has finished his work. He is quite strong and likes to set up and stack chairs in the hall as well as haul PE gear from the PE sheds. He feels valued when he gets asked and it shows him that we all need to contribute to make life easier for everyone. I would have an issue if it was busy work or a punishment. But the main point is communicating well with the teacher on these types of issues so there is no confusion

Assigning children to do jobs was very common when I went to school (1950s). Giving out and collecting books, filling inkwells, tidying desks was something we loved being asked to do. In secondary school the custom was to choose two girls as staffroom monitors. We would wash up after tea break, empty the waste bins and generally tidy the staffroom. Most of us got a chance once a term and really took it very seriously. As other posters have stated it gave kids a feeling of pride and responsibility to be chosen. I dont think any of us ever looked on it as free labour.

I often give the children little jobs, I have a role for every child in the class. It’s part of our character curriculum by giving children responsibility. Some children have more responsibilities than others to stretch and challenge or give them a movement break. All of my children are also able to access extension activities if needed too. They won’t be sent out during learning time.

It means she's reliable and can be trusted to competently fulfill the task. It also means she's the unpaid worker in the classroom.

Oh please. What a constructive and helpful comment…