Behaviour Management Scheme: Pirate Money

This is an idea that I have used on T.P. (Teaching Practice). It's a simple token economy scheme in which the children receive rewards for good behaviour. I used these pirate Euro notes (seeing as I'm in Ireland, I didn't want to use the dollar templates that I found online). I also incorporated an outline of a map of Ireland. I didn't want to use any template that was online as unique ones can't be laundered as easily!

Here's how I made the template using Microsoft Powerpoint:

1. I started off with a simple rectangle outline.

2. Next I added two rectangles for the purple strips. (and formated the fill to textured purple)

3. I then inserted an oval in the centre and pasted a pirate logo in the middle of it.

4. I pasted a picture of a map of Ireland on the right (and faded it) and a random symbol on the left.

5. I then used text boxes to add the text and numbers. (Make sure to right-click on these boxes and click on "send to front."

(if you wish to make €5, €10 etc., just change the numbers in your text boxes and print on different coloured paper).

I then printed them on coloured paper, cut them out, laminated them and trimmed them to size.

Children were given a Pirate Euro as a reward for good behaviour, as an incentive to have the tidiest desk or to be the best co-operators in group work. At the end of each week I had a raffle for inexpensive prizes such as pretty stationary, small packets of Haribos, cheap little toys etc. If I was doing this in a classroom where I was teaching long-term, then I'd probably only have a raffle once a month. They could buy raffle tickets with their pirate money. They also had the option of buying a voucher to swap their wooden chair for a more comfortable, cushioned chair (referred to below as the 'computer chair') or a voucher to sit next to a friend. I displayed the reward options on this reward menu:

I also printed this menu on coloured paper and then laminated it. The children really liked the idea of choosing their own rewards and saving up for the more "expensive" rewards. 

There are other cheap/free things that could be added to a rewards menu. I kept it simple with just three rewards. (If anybody reading this has other ideas for rewards that could be added to a menu, please comment!)

This was posted as part of Miss Kindergarten's Classroom Management Linky Party. Click on the button above to view her blog and links to other great classroom management ideas!