Submitted by Joni Kotche, Bloomingdale, Illinois
Idea posted October 19, 2006
I call my helper the "Concertmaster." The Concertmaster takes attendance, makes sure everyone has any needed supplies (i.e., they choose people to hand out books, instruments, etc.), helps in collecting supplies, turns off/on lights, closes the door, runs errands (if needed), and leads the line anytime we leave the classroom. The Concertmaster also gets to call the children into class dismissal line using "groupings" (i.e., anyone with blue eyes, anyone who rides the bus, if you like baseball, etc.).
One of the things I stress for Concertmaster (for fourth and fifth grade), is that the Concertmaster leads the echoing patterns at the beginning of class. I take a couple minutes and do four-beat rhythms, which the children echo. This can also include four-beat songs, which the children also echo. Fourth and fifth graders lead the patterns, including singing. It can be anything from, "I'm having peanut butter for lunch today." (more than four beats, but it is singing!) to "I love the Cubs." Third graders begin the echoing patterns the second time through.
I keep track in my gradebook by placing a circle, in pencil, around the grading square for that day. So if "Joe Schmo" is Concertmaster, in the gradebook his grade will have a circle around it. This is a quick visual to keep track, and it keeps the children from arguing whether they were Concertmaster!
I have chosen the Concertmaster by skipping every other child alphabetically, randomly, end to beginning, etc. The children really look forward to being Concertmaster. It works for me!