Last updated on October 27th, 2023 at 03:56 pm
When Dwight Schrute, a character in the hit TV series “The Office,” began his new role as regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch, he had some ideas for how to motivate his co-workers.
In his inaugural speech, Dwight flashes a full-sized paper made to look like a dollar with a picture of his face inserted in the center. “This is a Schrute buck. When you have done something good, you will receive one Schrute buck.”
“One thousand Schrute bucks equals an extra five minutes for lunch,” he mentions, grinning coyly.
The rest of the staff seem disinterested in this new initiative, but Pam plays along. “What is the cash value of a Schrute buck?” she questions. Dwights’s answer doesn’t hold too much water. His plan, far from motivating in the way he had hoped, becomes fodder for ridicule from the other staff members.
I’m hoping your experience implementing token economies in the classroom is far more successful than Dwight’s.
What is a classroom token economy?
A token economy is a system for rewarding students for positive behavior. Instead of granting the students their prize right away, the students collect tokens up to a predetermined amount to then trade for the prize. The tokens are symbolic of the reward to be collected.
I suppose it’s like our current monetary system in which we earn cash. The dollar bills or number in a bank account are not where the value lie, but in what we can trade that money in for.
What are some examples of classroom token economies?
Pretty much any item can serve as a token. But in the classroom setting, with numerous students, this means the token should probably be a small but plentiful item.
Students could earn pennies or paperclips or created “bucks” to trade in for their prize.
A display of points would work for this kind of system, too. The points could be electronic or hand written. Maybe you’ve run across the game-like point system called Class Dojo, where each student receives an avatar that showcases his or her points total.
Here are some more token and incentive examples:
The token economy can also be used with the whole group. The class can work together to earn marbles in a jar, for instance, and receive a reward once the jar is filled.
How to best use a token economy as a substitute
Admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of token economy systems when I was a classroom teacher. I preferred to develop systems for supporting intrinsic (as opposed to extrinsic) motivation. But substitute teaching is a different game– you’re a stranger in the classroom for a short period of time. You have no idea what you’re walking into most days. You never know– the situations could warrant a little token tactic.
That’s why I actually appreciate well-supported token economies in the classrooms I cover. I like to incorporate this strategy for rewarding individuals as well as the whole class. Here’s what I do:
Utilize existing systems with clear expectations
As much as possible, I try to maintain the systems already in place in a classroom. Of course, some situations call for changes and my own spin on things. But generally as a substitute, I’m not there to recreate the classroom.
Just the other day subbing for third grade, I spied a case filled with classroom cash on the teacher table. Sweet. A ready-made individual rewards system.
I had no instructions on the whole operation, but I didn’t really need any. I didn’t need to know what the prize was for the tokens was– I assumed the teacher had already made that motivating enough.
To make this token system effective, I laid down some ground rules. Because I know kids. And you’ve probably witnessed this too– the obsessive hoarding and counting of classroom cash instead of listening to the lesson or doing work. The contentious battles erupting after an unlabeled buck is found on the ground.
My rules were these: Immediately after receiving a buck, the students must write their names on the back and place it in the predetermined spot, not touching it again. It may seem extreme, but if you’ve ever experienced first graders making it rain in a chaotic flurry of Monopoly money, you’ll likely also feel compelled to go hard-nosed on this isue.
The day was a success, mostly through the combination of this individual reward system as well as my whole class motivator (an earned game). These two systems worked together swimmingly.
Use what’s already in place in the classroom if it’s possible for you and it works well with the students. If the teacher uses electronic points like Class Dojo that you don’t have access to, this can be easily remedied. Points are still points even if the method of recording changes, right? In cases like these, I draw up a seating chart and add tally marks next to each student’s name. I tell the students what they need to do to earn points and that the totals will be given to their teacher. Then at the end of the day, I include this information in my note to the teacher.
Consider using your own token economy system
Subbing is like life– you never know what you’ll encounter.
If you discover the classroom you’re covering does not have a token economy system in place, please don’t fret.
I first try to see if a token economy system is needed. I test my general behaviour management strategies, such as whole-class rewards and praising individuals, to see if this will suffice. If we can get through the day without using a new token economy strategy– great. Because remember: The token economy dictates that there should be a prize to be earned. And if you have no prize to offer, you’ve shot your credibility. The reward also needs to be desirable enough to motivate, unlike the five extra minutes of lunch promised in the case of Dwight’s failed Schrute Bucks scenario.
So if you can survive the day without it, I recommend doing without. If you’re in a situation where it becomes dire to motivate certain students in an extra way, the token economy system can be simple to set up.
First, decide on a token. This can be points (I draw up a seating chart and place tally marks next to each student’s name when earned). Or you can hand out tickets, like from a giant roll of carnival tickets. I have also cut sticky notes in half and used those in a bind.
Then decide on a reward that certain students– multiple students– can earn. Making the reward the privilege of being line leader, for instance, would not be the best since there can only be one line leader. If the goal is 20 tickets earned, you may have more than one student earning that reward.
For elementary students, you generally can’t go wrong with non-allergen sweets or cool pencils or funky scratch-and-sniff sitckers. Raise the bar just right: make the goal hard enough for students to really have to put in effort, but make it attainable as well. And always follow through with what you promise. Deliver the prize to those that earned it.
Let the tokens serve as a piece in a broader classroom management strategy
I’m not advocating for depending entirely on Wildcat Cash for classroom management.
To have the best, orderly day you can, you’ll need to use behavior management best practices. I’ve developed and refined a lot of these from reading Michael Linsin‘s articles.
I also don’t rely on just individual rewards when substitute teaching. The bulk of my motivators come from whole-class rewards, usually in the form of a game the class can earn. Individual rewards, propped up by a token economy when necessary, can sweeten the deal a little bit more and can be part of an overarching strategy to best get through the day.
Will a token economy become part of your subbing strategy?
I hope this gave you a good idea of when and how to use token economy systems to encourage good behavior. It’s not a magic wand. In fact, if it’s not carefully set up and with clear expectations defined, it can wind up being more of a headache than a help.
But using a token economy system when particular students need that extra spark of motivation can be really effective in conjunction with other strategies.
Best of luck of there, folks. You all just earned 50 stars for making it through the article!
