Why I only have one helper!

Let's talk helpers....I have always struggled with this, to me it's just one more thing I have to remember. I am the teacher that can never remember who my door holder is, or who my paper passer is supposed to be. Having all those helpers was always a pain for me! So a few years ago I read a blog (and for the life of me I can't remember who it was or I would give that amazing person credit!) and she only had one helper each week who did every job. The light bulb went on for me. 

 via GIPHY

I needed to simplify this and make my life easier. Everyone knows I love owls, so I came up with the O.W.L. of the week. 

Click on the pic to get a copy of the poster

I write my helper's name on the poster above with a chalk marker and just erase each week.

My O.W.L. of the week does every job. If he/she needs a helper he/she picks someone. They are the VIP, they get to be line leader, teacher's helper and best of all they get to take our class pet home.I have a stuffed owl I got from Amazon, I put it in a cute bag (the bag is one of the small denim ones you can embroider from like Hobby Lobby or Micheal's) and this is the journal cover. 

Click on the pic to get a copy of the journal cover

My students love getting to take Hootie home with them. It gives us all a little glimpse into their lives at home and Hootie gets to do some very fun things. Hootie has been on trips, to baseball games, helps with homework, wears Halloween costumes, even boys that you would think would be "too old" for stuffed animals love Hootie!

This one little thing has helped me enormously! By the end of the year, everyone has gotten a chance to be the O.W.L. of the Week (most get to be O.W.L. more than once) and it just makes life easier in general.

No more job chart hanging in my room!