Name Police

Tired of trying to decipher the handwriting on those no-name papers? Hire a Name Police to preempt the problem. It is the most coveted of all the helper jobs (or at least a close second to Line Leader).

Here's how it works: You choose a Name Police each week. He/she will be allowed to sit at the Name Police desk all week. (He/she even completes daily work there.) If you have room, utilize an extra desk or small table. If you don’t have room, use any space you have like the end of a long table or the corner of your desk. I’ve even used a piano bench before! Add a fun tablecloth or placemat, a Name Police desk tag and the extra special, no one-else-gets-to-touch-it highlighter. (Yellow works best as it’s the lightest of all the highlighter colors and won’t stand out as much.) You can jazz up the highlighter with ribbon or something sparkly just for fun!

As students turn in papers, the Name Police highlights each name. This job is such a big responsibility and you will be amazed at how quickly it eliminates the no-name papers. If students dare to turn in a nameless paper, the Name Police instructs them to go back and write their name. No one argues with the Name Police. Watch out though, some Name Police like to take the liberty to give advice on work content and handwriting skills. A gentle reminder of “That’s the teacher’s job,” usually works well to deter this behavior.