Let’s share roles for our clean and comfy class

Other languages　: Arabic

Figure 1. This clean and tidy class was managed by the children

Classroom cleanliness is a shared responsibility. The students of Santo Yusup 2 Kindergarten in Bandung work together and share roles to ensure that the classroom is clean and comfortable. They do it not only for the sake of their own class but also for the school’s behalf as a whole.

In 2019, our kindergarten started Cleaning activities as a 'classroom discussion' to form a 'caring relationship' in managing the 'daily chore' in an atmosphere of 'playful learning' and 'togetherness'. Starting with inviting the janitor to tell stories about their daily tasks, the children then discussed: 1) the criteria for being clean, tidy and comfortable; 2) what, where and how to clean up and tidy up; 3) share cleaning roles and tasks; and 4) reflect together.

Target grades:

Activity Categories：

Time:

Kindergarten, Elementary School

Cleaning the Class

30 minutes a day

Aim

Through class discussions, children will learn about how to lead, take on roles and work together to clean up areas in their classroom; reflect on cleanliness, tidiness and comfort; and appreciate and support the role of janitors.

Teaching Materials

Cleaning equipment: Provided by the school

Figure 2. Cleaning devices are neatly put in place.

Class discussion tools: E.g: paper, mini white board, sticky notes, pens/marker.

Figure 3. Cleaning equipment and class discussion tools

Class discussion protocol: Children initiate it by designing ways of distributing roles, ordering work flow and facilitating class reflection.

Figure 4. A kindergartener group meeting.

Community engagement: Janitor as ‘guest teacher’ to share their role in the school

Implementation Procedures

Before starting the class discussion about Cleaning, the teachers invite the children to form groups, develop team building, and then discuss how to make the class clean and comfortable. At the same time, the teachers discuss with the janitors and invite them to tell the children about their role in the school. The following is the process of class discussion:

1. Janitor tells about what s/he does, explains the use of some cleaning tools and materials and invites children to work together in making the class and the school clean.

Figure 5. A janitor was inviting children to collaborate in keeping the school clean and tidy.

2.Group representatives play rock paper scissor to determine the class leader group for that day.

The leader group discusses about sharing tasks and areas to be cleaned and also distributing tools and materials.

4.Each group does their job and then cleans and stores the tools and materials in their original place.

Figure 8. Not only their class, children also cleaned up another areas of the school.

Class reflection. The leader group organize class discussion on whether the tasks have been completed, each area is properly cleaned and on how to make cleaning activity more joyful and healthy.