An "economical" approach to Classroom Management & Behavior!

Who isn’t motivated in their actions by money?  After all, it’s the reason most people have jobs.  We do work in exchange for money in order to meet our wants and needs.  Hmmmm....starting to sound like economics?  Well, that is exactly where I pulled my current behavior program from!

In my classroom, my 4^th graders work on what we fondly call, the Polar Pride system (we are the Polar Bears).  It is a system where students “earn” polar cash for a set amount of required tasks throughout the week, budget how much they will need for current and future wants and needs, and spend some of their earnings on rewards throughout the classroom.

Our “polar cash” is the main part of this system.  At the beginning of each year, I copy and cut out multiple sheets of our polar money template.  We just use a one dollar denomination to make things simple.  I also introduce students early on to our “polar pride” weekly sheet.  This provides a place for the students and I to see exactly where money is being earned/lost throughout the week.  Here is an example of the sheet:

 As you can see, the majority of a student’s earnings come from the two main areas at the top: homework and behavior.  I give each category a total of 5 points per day.  Every point translates to one dollar so students have the chance to keep 5 dollars in the homework and 5 dollars in the behavior section daily.  If a student neglects to complete a homework assignment or breaks a rule after a warning, I mark on their sheet in the appropriate place where the infraction occurred.  Usually a missing assignment or minor infraction just results in 1 point/dollar being taken away.  However, if an entire homework packet is missing or a major rule has been broken, I have the option of taking away additional points.  I like the fact that every student begins the week with the same possibility of earning $50 polar pride dollars.  From there, it is their responsibility to complete their assignments on time and behave in an appropriate manner.  They are well aware that this sheet also serves as a weekly communication with their parents, as there is a place for a parent signature to indicate they are aware of their child’s weekly progress.

At the bottom of the sheet, I also have a section where additional points can be earned/lost.  If students have immediate needs that must be met in order to be successful, I want them to have that opportunity.  However, they need to learn that an “opportunity cost” also exists.  For example, if a student needs another copy of an assignment or needs to return to their locker, they are deducted a point but allowed to have that need met.  In addition, I have extra opportunities for students to earn money throughout the week.  I hand out the “cash” I have prepared throughout the week to reward good behavior such as lining up quietly, asking a good question, winning a review game, bringing a grade up, etc.  Seeing cash being handed out is a big motivator!  I give each student a baggie “wallet” to use to collect their cash throughout the week.  I also have a weekly job that students can earn an extra $10 for as indicated on the sheet.  (Students might have a job twice a month, so this is like a bonus!)

I run my “week” Friday through Thursday so that we can have our payday every Friday.   This means that every Thursday night, I set aside some time to go through and add up what the students have earned or lost during the 5 days.  I have a specific amount that I feel the students need to earn in order to be successful.  As long as a student is able to reach this amount, they are eligible to use some of their earnings (usually $15) to participate in a weekly reward activity.  This can include an extra recess, a bonus movie, free art time, free computer time, board game time, etc. that I set aside time for on Friday afternoon.  If a student is not able to participate because they didn’t meet the dollar amount, I use this time to provide intervention in either academics or behavior.  Prior to this activity, we set aside some time every Friday morning to work on our “polar pride” sheets.  Every student has a savings account where they make a “deposit” of part of their earnings every week.  They have to add any cash that they have saved during the week along with their homework/behavior point dollars. This is the part  that the Social Studies teacher in me loves!  Students need to plan ahead for how much money they need to save or have extra to spend.  I have a quarterly activity that every student is working towards which costs a large amount of money.  (The activities range from carnival day activities, movies, dances, obstacle courses,  art & craft activities, themed days, etc.)  I have a “budget” sheet that the students use in order to judge how much they can afford to spend on our weekly rewards but still save for our quarterly goal. 

I know this might sound like there is a lot involved.  But THIS PROGRAM WORKS!  Once the program is up and running, you will be amazed at how well it works to motivate your students to do their best on a daily basis!  Plus, they are learning important lifelong lessons about budgeting, making deposits, determining wants/needs, money management, making consumer decisions, etc.  Your students will definitely have the economic portion of their Social Studies standards covered thoroughly!  Here is what one teacher had to say after being introduced to this program:  "O.H.  M.Y.  G.O.S.H.......I love this!  You have some great ideas included for being responsible classroom citizens!  Even though I just got this, I am going to implement this until the end of the year, to see how it works!  Then....full on next year!!!!  I am SO excited!! Thanks!"

I use this program in partnership with my 3 teaching teammates which allows us to do some even more creative things!  The opportunities for this program to evolve and change are endless.  Please feel free to ask additional questions or comment about how you use similar behavior/reward systems in your own room.  If this is something that sounds like you might want to try in your own classroom, please visit my store for a great “starter” kit that includes all forms, templates, directions, labeled materials, etc. that you will need to get things up and running!

Click Here for complete Behavior Program!