All you packet makers out there . . . I know you’ll hear me loud and clear on this one. You know when you first started out on this crazy TPT road and you were pluggin’ along making creations?? You thought you were really rockin’ the whole thing and that your packs looked amazing. Well, as time passes, your design look changes, you find better digital elements, and you fall into your groove. Once this happens you look back on your first packets and cringe. Seriously folks . . . looking at some of these makes my heart hurt. After they are downloaded one to many times and you can’t take getting all red in the face anymore, you make the time to change one. Case in point . . . Super Student Bucks. **sigh**
**palm to forehead**
OMGOSH . . . I am so embarrassed.
But, we’re now back on track with this one!
Alright, so I’ve posted about this before. But, now that it has had a face-lift, let me re-introduce this fun classroom management system that I roll with every year. It fits my style to a tee, it is very effective, and it teaches priceless math concepts at the same time. Maybe it’s for you – maybe it isn’t. Read on to find out if this idea is something you might like to try this year.
Starting day one, my kiddos earn Super Student Bucks for all sorts of things (trying their best, using good manners, helping others, quality work, etc.). As money is earned, each student stores it in a special “wallet” (labeled Ziploc bag). These are stored in their pencil boxes.
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| I give money during whole class and small group time. I LOVE using money at my reading station. They just stack it up and add it to their “wallet” when the rotation is over. |
Every other week, the kids cash in the money they have earned to buy a lunch date with yours truly. My babes get to eat in the classroom and I spring for a small dessert. At the beginning of the year, I set the “price” of my lunches low. We want ALL kids to experience these and see how fun they are. As they year progresses, I slowly increase the price.
My students love earning money and ask to count it all the time. And, here’s the kicker with this one . . . they really WANT TO COUNT IT. This has proven to be the best counting/skip counting practice this teacher could ask for. I always start off the year by giving ONLY dollar bills. Then, I move to tens and hundreds. Finally, I introduce those tricky fives. My firsties learn how to pile their bucks by value, skip count like crazy, and count on like pros. By the end of the year, my babes are earning in the thousands and most can count it on their own with awesome accuracy!
In this FREEBIE update, I added additional values to the mix. I only use 1s, 5s, 10s, and 100s with my kids. However, I had oodles of requests for other denominations. So, this collection now includes 2s, 20s, and 50s too! We aim to please around here.
So, what do you think?? Is this something you may want to try this year? This packet also includes a Tip Sheet to help get you started. For example, you don’t have to give up your lunchtime to run this system . . . you can have your babes trade in cash for just about any little treat. However, there are SO many ways you can roll with Super Student Bucks. Take the foundation of the idea and jet with it in a direction that fits your classroom needs and overall teaching style. CLICK HERE to snag this free packet.
Okay, I am out of here for a bit. Check back at MIDNIGHT tonight for an EPIC blog hop. You don’t want to miss what’s cookin’ . . . it’s stellar. PROMISE.
I use Brutus Bucks! Brutus is my dog and I put a cute pic of him on the Buck! This system runs my class!