The purpose of our class economy is for students to learn the value of their class supplies. I want students to understand that taking care of what we have is important because nothing comes free. When we grow up we have to work hard to get what we need and want. I want to build this understanding early so that students can learn to appreciate what they have. This also helps with being less wasteful with our resources.
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Friday, November 21st is a Minimum Day
Raffle tickets and sometimes play money is used in our class economy. Students earn raffle tickets/money by doing class jobs, participating, being helpful, and other various moments during the day. Raffle tickets/money is then used to purchase supplies that they need in the classroom. The first round of supplies that students get in our supply caddies is free, replacement items will start having a value attached to it. For example, each student starts the year off with a fresh glue stick. Once they finish this glue stick and need a new one, they will need to purchase a new one from our student store using raffle tickets/money. I fully incorporate supply and demand and really encourage students to learn the value of everything in our classroom. The better we take care of our supplies the less we'll need to spend on replacing things in our classroom.
Students will also get the opportunity to apply for jobs in the classroom. Student who are hired will be paid weekly for their jobs which guarantees a weekly "income". Students who don't have jobs, will earn their "income" based on work completion and participation. As with jobs in the real world, students who aren't able to complete their jobs will be let go and another student will be hired for the position.
By January, I start rolling out bills and fines. Students will be paying weekly bills for classroom utilities. They will also pay fines such as "no name paper" or "messy desk".
I try to incorporate as much real world experiences into the classroom as possible. Helping students understand the joy of earning and having the ability to purchase what we want and need, but also understanding the importance of being mindful of responsibilities.
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