As we continue to work with more alternate strategies, I will make posts on the blog to give examples of the strategies we are working with so that you may have a better understanding of what your children are learning. If you have any questions about the strategies or would like any clarification, please don't hesitate to call or e-mail me.
It all has to do with density and buoyancy. If an object is less dense than the liquid it's been placed in, it will float. If it is more dense, it will sink. The regular Coke is more dense than the Diet Coke because of the sugar that is in the Coke. Sugar is more dense than the chemical substitute.
The best way to learn any skill is not through reading about it or talking about it, but through experiencing it. This year, students in room 70 will have a unique opportunity to learn about real economics. Through the course of the year students will learn, through experience, about scarcity, opportunity cost, delayed gratification, economic responsibility, the benefits of owning over renting, and how to manage their finances and balance a checking account. Here’s how the program will work.
Students have already selected and applied for jobs within the classroom. Through those jobs, students will earn a monthly salary (in Beauclerc Bucks), which they will need to use to help pay the rent on their desks. Yes, each student will have to pay rent on their desk. However, by saving up enough money for three months worth of rent, they can buy their own desk and no longer have to pay any rent. If they are so ambitious, they can even buy other students’ desks and charge them rent! While the monthly salaries are not enough to pay for rent alone, students can also earn “Bonus Money,” through a variety of tasks.
| Perfect Spelling Test | $50 |
| Perfect Math Facts Test | $50 |
| Accelerated Reader Tests | $50 x AR Points x Test Score |
| 80% on any other Test | $50 |
| 100% on any other Test | $200 |
| Monthly Perfect Attendance | $100 |
| Monthly Perfect HW Record | $100 |
| Joining Chorus, ORFF, Student Council, Patrols, or Broadcast | $100 |
| Participation in Nutcracker or American Grandstand | $100 |
| Compliment by a teacher | $200 |
| Answering Bonus Money Questions | Various |
At the end of each month, students will receive their paycheck and will be responsible for depositing it in the bank and paying their rent, along with any unsettled fees. Then, we will hold an auction in which I will offer up school supplies and other cool prizes for students to bid on with any extra money they have. Wise students will quickly figure out that it’s often best to hold off on buying anything until they have saved up enough to buy their desk. Through this experience, children will learn about delayed gratification and to make wise choices with their money, a skill most of us had to struggle through learning on our own.
I’m sure your child has been in a classroom that used colored cards that were flipped with each rule infraction. The punishment after a certain number of cards turned was to miss recess. I’m sorry to say that I had used this method of classroom management for six years of my teaching, until I discovered this much more realistic approach. And I’m also sorry to say that I actually thought it was a good strategy. Fortunately, I’ve realized that it is not as effective as it appears. Students are given the same consequence for any and all rule violations, which doesn’t seem to make sense. Rarely do the consequences fit the crimes. And the biggest problem is that children miss out on recess, which is an enormously valuable time for physical activity and socialization.
This year, room 70 is taking a more realistic approach to classroom management. Like in the real world, when a student breaks a rule they will pay a fine. The amount of the fines will vary based on the seriousness of the offense and some will increase with subsequent offenses. A police officer within the classroom (that’s one of the classroom jobs) will be responsible for issuing tickets and collecting fines. Through this, students will learn real life consequences to making poor choices. If poor choices continue, students will not be able to save enough money to spend at the auctions, buy his/her desk, and possibly even pay their rent.
Each time a student receives a ticket, the student will need to get the ticket signed by a parent/guardian and return it to school with the necessary amount of money. Students are encouraged to pay their fees as they come, but have until the end of the month to pay any outstanding fines. Here is a breakdown of offenses and fines:
| Infraction | Fine |
| No name on homework | $10 |
| Missing Homework | $50 (doubles with consecutive offenses) |
| Rudeness/Disrespect | $50 |
| Not Following Directions | $50 |
| Teasing/Harassing | $100 |
| Messy Desk (discovered in periodic police raids) | $100 |
| Reprimand by another teacher | $200 |
| Dishonesty | $500 |
You’ll notice that the stiffest penalty by far is for dishonesty. This is an important part of character building. Students will learn that I value honesty above most other qualities. I would much rather a student breaks a rule and is truthful with me when confronted than for him to lie to try to avoid punishment. Trust is vitally important to me and there are tough penalties for breaking that trust.
