On the first day of school have each student create a self-portrait on a paper plate which has been labeled with his/her name. Punch one hole in the top of each paper plate and place the girls on one metal loose leaf ring and the boys on another. Each morning the paper plates are turned to reveal the next “Helpers of the Day”. These two students are responsible for leading the line, running errands, assisting the teacher, etc. I have found that this system eliminates the “teacher’s pet” syndrome and allows all students to be special helpers. It also eliminates the weekly jobs chart that I find a tedious chore.
