TL;DR:
- What I am really trying to teach is the connection between trust and privilege.
- When done thoughtfully, classroom dollars and the famous marble jar can be powerful tools.
Trust equals privilege.
It took me a while to figure it out, but I got there. When I was a baby teacher, I saw a whole group management strategy as a way to encourage helpful behaviors and get the kids to work together. As I began leaning into privileges as rewards rather than objects, it all started to make sense. The bottom line of what I am trying to do here is teach kids that when we exhibit prosocial (helpful) behavior, we earn trust and privileges. I found this a tough concept for my 2nd graders. So, I began naming it when a student or the class earned trust and made it obvious.
Favorite Strategy #1
At the time, I was using class dollars. So, when dollars were earned, I did my best to say something like, “Thank you ____ for being trustworthy. That is a dollar.” or “I see _____ is being trustworthy. I owe you a dollar.” Over time, the students were better able to connect their behaviors for the health of the community and interpersonal relationships. When it came time to cash in the “trust” or the dollars they earned, they could select from a list of privileges. Some kids chose to invite a friend to have lunch with them, and some liked being our class DJ for the day. The possibilities are really endless. The classroom economy system tends to be more of an individual than a group system, but you can easily make it work if you are intentional about how you use it.
Here is how I made it work for me:
A token economy can be as simple or involved as you make it. I highly recommend simple. Here is how I made it easier on myself. I kept a clipboard next to me with a class list. Each time a student earned a class dollar for building trust, I put a tally next to their name. If they made an untrustworthy choice, all I had to do was erase a tally. When the kids came into class in the morning, the dollars they earned the day before were on their desks with their morning work, and putting them away was simply part of the routine. In truth, the kids had very little interaction with the actual dollar.
Apart from making the connection between trust and privilege obvious, the other thing that made me fall in love with this method was using tally marks to track dollars earned. It was a great way to track foundational behavioral data, such as who might need extra support. More importantly, it held me accountable for seeing every student. If one student was getting more of my attention than others, it would show up in the tally marks and I was able to course correct.
Favorite Strategy #2
This does not mean that it is my second favorite. It means it is my other favorite. The tried and true marble jar. Is there a more classic group classroom management strategy? Brene Brown really took this to the next level when she began using the marble jar as an analogy for trust. So guess what, so do I.
When I launch the marble jar, I have a conversation with the class about what trustworthiness means. We brainstorm behaviors that earn marbles (trust) or lose marbles. We also talk about the acronym B.R.A.V.I.N.G. by Brene Brown that details the behaviors that build trust. The conversation helps kids understand what trustworthy behavior looks and sounds like. By then, the kids have a good handle on how trust is earned and lost.
B.R.A.V.I.N.G stands for:
Boundaries
Reliable
Accountable
Vault
Integrity
Generous
Then, the marble jar becomes our group management system. When I see a student do something trustworthy, I name it, thank them, and put a marble in the jar. What I love about this method, other than making the relationship between trust and privilege obvious, is that it requires whole-class discussions about what privileges they want to work for and helps teach them that they thrive together or fail together. When kids are accountable to each other, it changes the game. We can have powerful, restorative conversations, and over time, students begin to understand how communities work.
If this is your particular rabbit hole, you are looking for Brene Brown.
##classroommanagement ##SEL ##teachershelpingteachers
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