I have a boy in my class who clearly needs to be kept busy. He’s a good kid one on one but he’s doing things like scribbling on his desk with a pencil (I make him get wet wipes and scrub it clean each time, which to his credit he never argues about) and he’s constantly tipping his desk and chair into precarious positions. He really likes to help and is actually very responsible when given a task, so I’m wondering if anyone has tips or suggestions for jobs he can quietly do while he’s in class. Fidgets do not work, he’ll throw them or tap them on his desk. Currently he helps with: Delivering notes to other teachers Organizing book shelves and ipads - he’s good at this but only if no one else is near him; if he’s in the library area with other kids around, he gets loud quickly. Ideas for other little jobs he can do? Maybe wiping clean my class set of whiteboards? Organizing paperclips? He is more focused and less disruptive when he’s multitasking. He’s already in an “island” seat both by his choice and my agreement that it’s a good place for him.
This doesn't need doing regularly, but I do let one of my very active students organize my art supplies when needed. He sorts through the colored pencils and crayons and gets rid of any broken beyond use ones, neatens stacks of construction paper, tests my markers for any that are out of ink, etc.
If you trust him enough, I sometimes have my wiggly kids check the dry erase markers for those on their deathbeds.
Awesome! Wouldn't have thought of it, but it has learning built into it as well as requiring attention.
Laughing at paper clips! I was thinking away and you already thought of everything I could think of! Oh, I did think of a couple more. When kids are absent can he clean out their desks? Also, he could put together the make up work folder.
