Episode 66: Classrooms That Work: Beyond Class Jobs with Thom Gibson
Even with an increase in emphasis on career and college readiness, when will we ever use this is one of those perpetual complaints we hear from students. It can be difficult to find time to meet all the standards while preparing students for standardized tests, leaving little room for covering some of the real-world skills that we know students need-- but don’t know where along the way they will learn them. But Thom Gibson proves that we can cover some real-life financial literacy no matter what age group or subject you teach, all the while improving classroom management, students’ responsibility, and even saving you, the teacher, valuable time.
Thom is an award-winning middle school math teacher who realized the potential of creating a classroom economy that goes far beyond having rotating students fulfill a generic role each week. Thom has customized the jobs-- and salaries-- that can be earned for each position, ensuring that he has incentivized students and covered tasks that help his classroom run more smoothly (never connect your own device to the projector again! 🙌). Monthly student-run auctions keep students interested, allowing Thom to manage student behavior by making students pay “fines” (tracked by, you guessed it, a fellow student) and instilling in students the values of budgeting and investing, all in the background of his regularly scheduled lessons.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
-How Thom’s background as an audio engineering major informed his YouTube channel growth
-Why classroom jobs aren’t just for the elementary school setting
-How to determine your classroom jobs--and have students apply for them
-How the one-time prep work of setting up the classroom economy can save you time in the classroom each day
-How to “pay” students, why make students pay “rent” on their desks, what students can bid on at auctions, and how to put all the pieces together to use it as an incredibly powerful classroom management tool
Links mentioned:
Thom's Website:
https://thomgibson.com/
Thom's Podcast:
https://storiesfromtheclassroom.simplecast.com/
Thom's "Teach Kids About Money" Course:
https://thomgibson.thinkific.com/courses/how-to-teach-kids-about-money
psssst! Don't forget to use code: edverything at checkout :)
Thom's YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/gibsonedu
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