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Heck, sometimes even adults have this problem! Because of this, sometimes students may have trouble making the proper choices within the classroom. This is a problem that a token economy can solve.

If you’re thinking, “Oh great, more work piled on me as a teacher.” Don’t stress! This is a simple process to get up and running that will pay dividends in your classroom all year round…and I have a free lesson plan you can use to introduce the plan to your students. 😎

What is a Token Economy?

Before we dive into how to set up a token economy we have to specifically define what exactly it is. As an adult, when you hear the word economy your eyes might start to glaze over.

However, don’t worry, this is quite simple when we think about a token economy system. This is a behavior management system put in place where students can earn some sort of “token” for behaviors they improve upon and trade those tokens for rewards.

One token economy example would be a system in which tokens can then be redeemed for prizes in a school reward store in support of your PBIS initiatives. Just like an adult may “redeem” their paycheck for a new television, groceries, or any other number of things.

The Benefits of a Token Economy

The great thing about a token economy is that you as a teacher can use it to target any specific behavior you’d like your class or students to improve upon. 

Ideally, you may choose to focus on behavior from the following groupings: academic issues, social-emotional (SEL) issues, or behavioral issues. 

For example, if a student or class is struggling with getting homework or project-based learning activities turned in on time you then explain that students will earn tokens by achieving that behavior. 

The same can be said if the target falls in line with something under the PBIS and SEL umbrella or classroom behavioral issues. The goal is that students will see the potential reward opportunities in correcting these behaviors. 

Now, it’s important to also consider the rewards that your tokens can redeem. This is something that may ebb and flow as the school year goes on depending on your students' taste. It is essential though that when rewarding students…your students see value in the rewards.

You may consider it a great idea to fill it with whatever popular new item is out there, but once the zeitgeist has moved on to something else, students may be no longer interested. 

Don’t forget, opportunities are rewards as well. While everyone may enjoy a tangible item (like water bottle stickers), others might find more use in seat swaps or cutting the principal’s tie. They can make all the difference to a struggling student.

How to Set Up a Token Economy

Now that we know the ins and outs of just what makes up a token economy, let’s get one set up in your classroom.

When to Start

Ideally, your perfect opportunity to start such a practice would be at the start of a year, returning from a break, or at the beginning of the quarter, trimester, or semester. The reason for this is that it’s a clean break from how things were previously done in your classroom. 

It signals a new beginning to students and also allows for a fresh opportunity to try something new! 

Introducing the Rubric

One of the first components will be to show students what behaviors you are targeting within your behavior rubric. A great way to do this is to act out the behaviors you're seeing that you want to correct. 

This was something I did all the time with my students for a multitude of reasons. First, it allows me to get on their level. I can act a little silly as if I were one of their peers. This allows them to ease into this new system. 

On top of that though, it provides a specific visual for students to see what the class will be working on. This is essential. It’s one thing to tell a student “Don’t do that anymore!” It’s another thing for them to actively see their teacher doing the right thing so that they can make the connection.

Pick Your Rewards

Following this, you’ll need to show them what rewards can be earned and for how much. Remember, you are in complete control over reward types and frequency. It’s a good idea to have some rewards that require more tokens (like gift cards) so that students can work towards those.

It’s also a good idea though to have lower-tier rewards (like special pens) that some of your “frequent flyers” will also still be able to earn. The key is to make sure all students are given the ability to redeem their tokens. 

This can be challenging as a teacher if you have a student who often makes choices that are less than ideal. However, use your best judgment and seek them out for even the slightest change in behavior they provide. 

Tracking Your Progress

Lastly, it is essential to keep track of token distribution as an educator as well. This can be done with a Google Form or a digital behavior management system like LiveSchool.

A Lesson Plan for Introducing Your Token Economy

Click here to access a free lesson plan designed to introduce your Token Economy. 

Within it, it will allow you to customize what behaviors you hope to target, what rewards are available, and anything else you may need to get your token economy up and running. 

Remember, these things take time! Nothing in education is an overnight fix, and this is no different. However, with some time and effort, you’re going to see a positive change in your classroom.

It’s Time to Start Your Token Economy

Teaching is not easy. One could argue being a student is not easy either! The token economy is a great way to help ease the burden of both teaching and learning in your classroom. 

It offers a variety of components that can help target problem behaviors in the classroom, whether academic or social-emotional, and allows students to try to improve them by earning rewards. 

It’s a simple idea when you think about it. 

The ability to earn a reward can make all the difference in your classroom if given the opportunity.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.
Let’s be honest. Students can have difficulty with intrinsic motivation. They might not always value the academic knowledge itself as a reward.

Heck, sometimes even adults have this problem! Because of this, sometimes students may have trouble making the proper choices within the classroom. This is a problem that a token economy can solve.

If you’re thinking, “Oh great, more work piled on me as a teacher.” Don’t stress! This is a simple process to get up and running that will pay dividends in your classroom all year round…and I have a free lesson plan you can use to introduce the plan to your students. 😎

What is a Token Economy?

Before we dive into how to set up a token economy we have to specifically define what exactly it is. As an adult, when you hear the word economy your eyes might start to glaze over.

However, don’t worry, this is quite simple when we think about a token economy system. This is a behavior management system put in place where students can earn some sort of “token” for behaviors they improve upon and trade those tokens for rewards.

One token economy example would be a system in which tokens can then be redeemed for prizes in a school reward store in support of your PBIS initiatives. Just like an adult may “redeem” their paycheck for a new television, groceries, or any other number of things.

The Benefits of a Token Economy

The great thing about a token economy is that you as a teacher can use it to target any specific behavior you’d like your class or students to improve upon. 

Ideally, you may choose to focus on behavior from the following groupings: academic issues, social-emotional (SEL) issues, or behavioral issues. 

For example, if a student or class is struggling with getting homework or project-based learning activities turned in on time you then explain that students will earn tokens by achieving that behavior. 

The same can be said if the target falls in line with something under the PBIS and SEL umbrella or classroom behavioral issues. The goal is that students will see the potential reward opportunities in correcting these behaviors. 

Now, it’s important to also consider the rewards that your tokens can redeem. This is something that may ebb and flow as the school year goes on depending on your students' taste. It is essential though that when rewarding students…your students see value in the rewards.

You may consider it a great idea to fill it with whatever popular new item is out there, but once the zeitgeist has moved on to something else, students may be no longer interested. 

Don’t forget, opportunities are rewards as well. While everyone may enjoy a tangible item (like water bottle stickers), others might find more use in seat swaps or cutting the principal’s tie. They can make all the difference to a struggling student.

How to Set Up a Token Economy

Now that we know the ins and outs of just what makes up a token economy, let’s get one set up in your classroom.

When to Start

Ideally, your perfect opportunity to start such a practice would be at the start of a year, returning from a break, or at the beginning of the quarter, trimester, or semester. The reason for this is that it’s a clean break from how things were previously done in your classroom. 

It signals a new beginning to students and also allows for a fresh opportunity to try something new! 

Introducing the Rubric

One of the first components will be to show students what behaviors you are targeting within your behavior rubric. A great way to do this is to act out the behaviors you're seeing that you want to correct. 

This was something I did all the time with my students for a multitude of reasons. First, it allows me to get on their level. I can act a little silly as if I were one of their peers. This allows them to ease into this new system. 

On top of that though, it provides a specific visual for students to see what the class will be working on. This is essential. It’s one thing to tell a student “Don’t do that anymore!” It’s another thing for them to actively see their teacher doing the right thing so that they can make the connection.

Pick Your Rewards

Following this, you’ll need to show them what rewards can be earned and for how much. Remember, you are in complete control over reward types and frequency. It’s a good idea to have some rewards that require more tokens (like gift cards) so that students can work towards those.

It’s also a good idea though to have lower-tier rewards (like special pens) that some of your “frequent flyers” will also still be able to earn. The key is to make sure all students are given the ability to redeem their tokens. 

This can be challenging as a teacher if you have a student who often makes choices that are less than ideal. However, use your best judgment and seek them out for even the slightest change in behavior they provide. 

Tracking Your Progress

Lastly, it is essential to keep track of token distribution as an educator as well. This can be done with a Google Form or a digital behavior management system like LiveSchool.

A Lesson Plan for Introducing Your Token Economy

Click here to access a free lesson plan designed to introduce your Token Economy. 

Within it, it will allow you to customize what behaviors you hope to target, what rewards are available, and anything else you may need to get your token economy up and running. 

Remember, these things take time! Nothing in education is an overnight fix, and this is no different. However, with some time and effort, you’re going to see a positive change in your classroom.

It’s Time to Start Your Token Economy

Teaching is not easy. One could argue being a student is not easy either! The token economy is a great way to help ease the burden of both teaching and learning in your classroom. 

It offers a variety of components that can help target problem behaviors in the classroom, whether academic or social-emotional, and allows students to try to improve them by earning rewards. 

It’s a simple idea when you think about it. 

The ability to earn a reward can make all the difference in your classroom if given the opportunity.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

Heck, sometimes even adults have this problem! Because of this, sometimes students may have trouble making the proper choices within the classroom. This is a problem that a token economy can solve.

If you’re thinking, “Oh great, more work piled on me as a teacher.” Don’t stress! This is a simple process to get up and running that will pay dividends in your classroom all year round…and I have a free lesson plan you can use to introduce the plan to your students. 😎

What is a Token Economy?

Before we dive into how to set up a token economy we have to specifically define what exactly it is. As an adult, when you hear the word economy your eyes might start to glaze over.

However, don’t worry, this is quite simple when we think about a token economy system. This is a behavior management system put in place where students can earn some sort of “token” for behaviors they improve upon and trade those tokens for rewards.

One token economy example would be a system in which tokens can then be redeemed for prizes in a school reward store in support of your PBIS initiatives. Just like an adult may “redeem” their paycheck for a new television, groceries, or any other number of things.

The Benefits of a Token Economy

The great thing about a token economy is that you as a teacher can use it to target any specific behavior you’d like your class or students to improve upon. 

Ideally, you may choose to focus on behavior from the following groupings: academic issues, social-emotional (SEL) issues, or behavioral issues. 

For example, if a student or class is struggling with getting homework or project-based learning activities turned in on time you then explain that students will earn tokens by achieving that behavior. 

The same can be said if the target falls in line with something under the PBIS and SEL umbrella or classroom behavioral issues. The goal is that students will see the potential reward opportunities in correcting these behaviors. 

Now, it’s important to also consider the rewards that your tokens can redeem. This is something that may ebb and flow as the school year goes on depending on your students' taste. It is essential though that when rewarding students…your students see value in the rewards.

You may consider it a great idea to fill it with whatever popular new item is out there, but once the zeitgeist has moved on to something else, students may be no longer interested. 

Don’t forget, opportunities are rewards as well. While everyone may enjoy a tangible item (like water bottle stickers), others might find more use in seat swaps or cutting the principal’s tie. They can make all the difference to a struggling student.

How to Set Up a Token Economy

Now that we know the ins and outs of just what makes up a token economy, let’s get one set up in your classroom.

When to Start

Ideally, your perfect opportunity to start such a practice would be at the start of a year, returning from a break, or at the beginning of the quarter, trimester, or semester. The reason for this is that it’s a clean break from how things were previously done in your classroom. 

It signals a new beginning to students and also allows for a fresh opportunity to try something new! 

Introducing the Rubric

One of the first components will be to show students what behaviors you are targeting within your behavior rubric. A great way to do this is to act out the behaviors you're seeing that you want to correct. 

This was something I did all the time with my students for a multitude of reasons. First, it allows me to get on their level. I can act a little silly as if I were one of their peers. This allows them to ease into this new system. 

On top of that though, it provides a specific visual for students to see what the class will be working on. This is essential. It’s one thing to tell a student “Don’t do that anymore!” It’s another thing for them to actively see their teacher doing the right thing so that they can make the connection.

Pick Your Rewards

Following this, you’ll need to show them what rewards can be earned and for how much. Remember, you are in complete control over reward types and frequency. It’s a good idea to have some rewards that require more tokens (like gift cards) so that students can work towards those.

It’s also a good idea though to have lower-tier rewards (like special pens) that some of your “frequent flyers” will also still be able to earn. The key is to make sure all students are given the ability to redeem their tokens. 

This can be challenging as a teacher if you have a student who often makes choices that are less than ideal. However, use your best judgment and seek them out for even the slightest change in behavior they provide. 

Tracking Your Progress

Lastly, it is essential to keep track of token distribution as an educator as well. This can be done with a Google Form or a digital behavior management system like LiveSchool.

A Lesson Plan for Introducing Your Token Economy

Click here to access a free lesson plan designed to introduce your Token Economy. 

Within it, it will allow you to customize what behaviors you hope to target, what rewards are available, and anything else you may need to get your token economy up and running. 

Remember, these things take time! Nothing in education is an overnight fix, and this is no different. However, with some time and effort, you’re going to see a positive change in your classroom.

It’s Time to Start Your Token Economy

Teaching is not easy. One could argue being a student is not easy either! The token economy is a great way to help ease the burden of both teaching and learning in your classroom. 

It offers a variety of components that can help target problem behaviors in the classroom, whether academic or social-emotional, and allows students to try to improve them by earning rewards. 

It’s a simple idea when you think about it. 

The ability to earn a reward can make all the difference in your classroom if given the opportunity.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

About the Event

Heck, sometimes even adults have this problem! Because of this, sometimes students may have trouble making the proper choices within the classroom. This is a problem that a token economy can solve.

If you’re thinking, “Oh great, more work piled on me as a teacher.” Don’t stress! This is a simple process to get up and running that will pay dividends in your classroom all year round…and I have a free lesson plan you can use to introduce the plan to your students. 😎

What is a Token Economy?

Before we dive into how to set up a token economy we have to specifically define what exactly it is. As an adult, when you hear the word economy your eyes might start to glaze over.

However, don’t worry, this is quite simple when we think about a token economy system. This is a behavior management system put in place where students can earn some sort of “token” for behaviors they improve upon and trade those tokens for rewards.

One token economy example would be a system in which tokens can then be redeemed for prizes in a school reward store in support of your PBIS initiatives. Just like an adult may “redeem” their paycheck for a new television, groceries, or any other number of things.

The Benefits of a Token Economy

The great thing about a token economy is that you as a teacher can use it to target any specific behavior you’d like your class or students to improve upon. 

Ideally, you may choose to focus on behavior from the following groupings: academic issues, social-emotional (SEL) issues, or behavioral issues. 

For example, if a student or class is struggling with getting homework or project-based learning activities turned in on time you then explain that students will earn tokens by achieving that behavior. 

The same can be said if the target falls in line with something under the PBIS and SEL umbrella or classroom behavioral issues. The goal is that students will see the potential reward opportunities in correcting these behaviors. 

Now, it’s important to also consider the rewards that your tokens can redeem. This is something that may ebb and flow as the school year goes on depending on your students' taste. It is essential though that when rewarding students…your students see value in the rewards.

You may consider it a great idea to fill it with whatever popular new item is out there, but once the zeitgeist has moved on to something else, students may be no longer interested. 

Don’t forget, opportunities are rewards as well. While everyone may enjoy a tangible item (like water bottle stickers), others might find more use in seat swaps or cutting the principal’s tie. They can make all the difference to a struggling student.

How to Set Up a Token Economy

Now that we know the ins and outs of just what makes up a token economy, let’s get one set up in your classroom.

When to Start

Ideally, your perfect opportunity to start such a practice would be at the start of a year, returning from a break, or at the beginning of the quarter, trimester, or semester. The reason for this is that it’s a clean break from how things were previously done in your classroom. 

It signals a new beginning to students and also allows for a fresh opportunity to try something new! 

Introducing the Rubric

One of the first components will be to show students what behaviors you are targeting within your behavior rubric. A great way to do this is to act out the behaviors you're seeing that you want to correct. 

This was something I did all the time with my students for a multitude of reasons. First, it allows me to get on their level. I can act a little silly as if I were one of their peers. This allows them to ease into this new system. 

On top of that though, it provides a specific visual for students to see what the class will be working on. This is essential. It’s one thing to tell a student “Don’t do that anymore!” It’s another thing for them to actively see their teacher doing the right thing so that they can make the connection.

Pick Your Rewards

Following this, you’ll need to show them what rewards can be earned and for how much. Remember, you are in complete control over reward types and frequency. It’s a good idea to have some rewards that require more tokens (like gift cards) so that students can work towards those.

It’s also a good idea though to have lower-tier rewards (like special pens) that some of your “frequent flyers” will also still be able to earn. The key is to make sure all students are given the ability to redeem their tokens. 

This can be challenging as a teacher if you have a student who often makes choices that are less than ideal. However, use your best judgment and seek them out for even the slightest change in behavior they provide. 

Tracking Your Progress

Lastly, it is essential to keep track of token distribution as an educator as well. This can be done with a Google Form or a digital behavior management system like LiveSchool.

A Lesson Plan for Introducing Your Token Economy

Click here to access a free lesson plan designed to introduce your Token Economy. 

Within it, it will allow you to customize what behaviors you hope to target, what rewards are available, and anything else you may need to get your token economy up and running. 

Remember, these things take time! Nothing in education is an overnight fix, and this is no different. However, with some time and effort, you’re going to see a positive change in your classroom.

It’s Time to Start Your Token Economy

Teaching is not easy. One could argue being a student is not easy either! The token economy is a great way to help ease the burden of both teaching and learning in your classroom. 

It offers a variety of components that can help target problem behaviors in the classroom, whether academic or social-emotional, and allows students to try to improve them by earning rewards. 

It’s a simple idea when you think about it. 

The ability to earn a reward can make all the difference in your classroom if given the opportunity.

Register Now

About the Event

Heck, sometimes even adults have this problem! Because of this, sometimes students may have trouble making the proper choices within the classroom. This is a problem that a token economy can solve.

If you’re thinking, “Oh great, more work piled on me as a teacher.” Don’t stress! This is a simple process to get up and running that will pay dividends in your classroom all year round…and I have a free lesson plan you can use to introduce the plan to your students. 😎

What is a Token Economy?

Before we dive into how to set up a token economy we have to specifically define what exactly it is. As an adult, when you hear the word economy your eyes might start to glaze over.

However, don’t worry, this is quite simple when we think about a token economy system. This is a behavior management system put in place where students can earn some sort of “token” for behaviors they improve upon and trade those tokens for rewards.

One token economy example would be a system in which tokens can then be redeemed for prizes in a school reward store in support of your PBIS initiatives. Just like an adult may “redeem” their paycheck for a new television, groceries, or any other number of things.

The Benefits of a Token Economy

The great thing about a token economy is that you as a teacher can use it to target any specific behavior you’d like your class or students to improve upon. 

Ideally, you may choose to focus on behavior from the following groupings: academic issues, social-emotional (SEL) issues, or behavioral issues. 

For example, if a student or class is struggling with getting homework or project-based learning activities turned in on time you then explain that students will earn tokens by achieving that behavior. 

The same can be said if the target falls in line with something under the PBIS and SEL umbrella or classroom behavioral issues. The goal is that students will see the potential reward opportunities in correcting these behaviors. 

Now, it’s important to also consider the rewards that your tokens can redeem. This is something that may ebb and flow as the school year goes on depending on your students' taste. It is essential though that when rewarding students…your students see value in the rewards.

You may consider it a great idea to fill it with whatever popular new item is out there, but once the zeitgeist has moved on to something else, students may be no longer interested. 

Don’t forget, opportunities are rewards as well. While everyone may enjoy a tangible item (like water bottle stickers), others might find more use in seat swaps or cutting the principal’s tie. They can make all the difference to a struggling student.

How to Set Up a Token Economy

Now that we know the ins and outs of just what makes up a token economy, let’s get one set up in your classroom.

When to Start

Ideally, your perfect opportunity to start such a practice would be at the start of a year, returning from a break, or at the beginning of the quarter, trimester, or semester. The reason for this is that it’s a clean break from how things were previously done in your classroom. 

It signals a new beginning to students and also allows for a fresh opportunity to try something new! 

Introducing the Rubric

One of the first components will be to show students what behaviors you are targeting within your behavior rubric. A great way to do this is to act out the behaviors you're seeing that you want to correct. 

This was something I did all the time with my students for a multitude of reasons. First, it allows me to get on their level. I can act a little silly as if I were one of their peers. This allows them to ease into this new system. 

On top of that though, it provides a specific visual for students to see what the class will be working on. This is essential. It’s one thing to tell a student “Don’t do that anymore!” It’s another thing for them to actively see their teacher doing the right thing so that they can make the connection.

Pick Your Rewards

Following this, you’ll need to show them what rewards can be earned and for how much. Remember, you are in complete control over reward types and frequency. It’s a good idea to have some rewards that require more tokens (like gift cards) so that students can work towards those.

It’s also a good idea though to have lower-tier rewards (like special pens) that some of your “frequent flyers” will also still be able to earn. The key is to make sure all students are given the ability to redeem their tokens. 

This can be challenging as a teacher if you have a student who often makes choices that are less than ideal. However, use your best judgment and seek them out for even the slightest change in behavior they provide. 

Tracking Your Progress

Lastly, it is essential to keep track of token distribution as an educator as well. This can be done with a Google Form or a digital behavior management system like LiveSchool.

A Lesson Plan for Introducing Your Token Economy

Click here to access a free lesson plan designed to introduce your Token Economy. 

Within it, it will allow you to customize what behaviors you hope to target, what rewards are available, and anything else you may need to get your token economy up and running. 

Remember, these things take time! Nothing in education is an overnight fix, and this is no different. However, with some time and effort, you’re going to see a positive change in your classroom.

It’s Time to Start Your Token Economy

Teaching is not easy. One could argue being a student is not easy either! The token economy is a great way to help ease the burden of both teaching and learning in your classroom. 

It offers a variety of components that can help target problem behaviors in the classroom, whether academic or social-emotional, and allows students to try to improve them by earning rewards. 

It’s a simple idea when you think about it. 

The ability to earn a reward can make all the difference in your classroom if given the opportunity.

About the Presenter

Justin has been an educator for over a decade including various teaching roles ranging from Special Education, ELA, and Social Studies! When he's not busy, he enjoys spending time with his family including his daughter, his wife, and his half labrador/half dachshund, "Mac."

In addition to this you can find him working on his podcast production skills for his goofy sports and pop culture podcast, Baseball and Whatever, playing ice hockey, water skiing, or playing video games. He's probably playing video games.

Sign up for more ideas
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

Let’s be honest. Students can have difficulty with intrinsic motivation. They might not always value the academic knowledge itself as a reward.

Heck, sometimes even adults have this problem! Because of this, sometimes students may have trouble making the proper choices within the classroom. This is a problem that a token economy can solve.

If you’re thinking, “Oh great, more work piled on me as a teacher.” Don’t stress! This is a simple process to get up and running that will pay dividends in your classroom all year round…and I have a free lesson plan you can use to introduce the plan to your students. 😎

What is a Token Economy?

Before we dive into how to set up a token economy we have to specifically define what exactly it is. As an adult, when you hear the word economy your eyes might start to glaze over.

However, don’t worry, this is quite simple when we think about a token economy system. This is a behavior management system put in place where students can earn some sort of “token” for behaviors they improve upon and trade those tokens for rewards.

One token economy example would be a system in which tokens can then be redeemed for prizes in a school reward store in support of your PBIS initiatives. Just like an adult may “redeem” their paycheck for a new television, groceries, or any other number of things.

The Benefits of a Token Economy

The great thing about a token economy is that you as a teacher can use it to target any specific behavior you’d like your class or students to improve upon. 

Ideally, you may choose to focus on behavior from the following groupings: academic issues, social-emotional (SEL) issues, or behavioral issues. 

For example, if a student or class is struggling with getting homework or project-based learning activities turned in on time you then explain that students will earn tokens by achieving that behavior. 

The same can be said if the target falls in line with something under the PBIS and SEL umbrella or classroom behavioral issues. The goal is that students will see the potential reward opportunities in correcting these behaviors. 

Now, it’s important to also consider the rewards that your tokens can redeem. This is something that may ebb and flow as the school year goes on depending on your students' taste. It is essential though that when rewarding students…your students see value in the rewards.

You may consider it a great idea to fill it with whatever popular new item is out there, but once the zeitgeist has moved on to something else, students may be no longer interested. 

Don’t forget, opportunities are rewards as well. While everyone may enjoy a tangible item (like water bottle stickers), others might find more use in seat swaps or cutting the principal’s tie. They can make all the difference to a struggling student.

How to Set Up a Token Economy

Now that we know the ins and outs of just what makes up a token economy, let’s get one set up in your classroom.

When to Start

Ideally, your perfect opportunity to start such a practice would be at the start of a year, returning from a break, or at the beginning of the quarter, trimester, or semester. The reason for this is that it’s a clean break from how things were previously done in your classroom. 

It signals a new beginning to students and also allows for a fresh opportunity to try something new! 

Introducing the Rubric

One of the first components will be to show students what behaviors you are targeting within your behavior rubric. A great way to do this is to act out the behaviors you're seeing that you want to correct. 

This was something I did all the time with my students for a multitude of reasons. First, it allows me to get on their level. I can act a little silly as if I were one of their peers. This allows them to ease into this new system. 

On top of that though, it provides a specific visual for students to see what the class will be working on. This is essential. It’s one thing to tell a student “Don’t do that anymore!” It’s another thing for them to actively see their teacher doing the right thing so that they can make the connection.

Pick Your Rewards

Following this, you’ll need to show them what rewards can be earned and for how much. Remember, you are in complete control over reward types and frequency. It’s a good idea to have some rewards that require more tokens (like gift cards) so that students can work towards those.

It’s also a good idea though to have lower-tier rewards (like special pens) that some of your “frequent flyers” will also still be able to earn. The key is to make sure all students are given the ability to redeem their tokens. 

This can be challenging as a teacher if you have a student who often makes choices that are less than ideal. However, use your best judgment and seek them out for even the slightest change in behavior they provide. 

Tracking Your Progress

Lastly, it is essential to keep track of token distribution as an educator as well. This can be done with a Google Form or a digital behavior management system like LiveSchool.

A Lesson Plan for Introducing Your Token Economy

Click here to access a free lesson plan designed to introduce your Token Economy. 

Within it, it will allow you to customize what behaviors you hope to target, what rewards are available, and anything else you may need to get your token economy up and running. 

Remember, these things take time! Nothing in education is an overnight fix, and this is no different. However, with some time and effort, you’re going to see a positive change in your classroom.

It’s Time to Start Your Token Economy

Teaching is not easy. One could argue being a student is not easy either! The token economy is a great way to help ease the burden of both teaching and learning in your classroom. 

It offers a variety of components that can help target problem behaviors in the classroom, whether academic or social-emotional, and allows students to try to improve them by earning rewards. 

It’s a simple idea when you think about it. 

The ability to earn a reward can make all the difference in your classroom if given the opportunity.

Learn more about the author, 
Justin McElwee
 
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Let’s be honest. Students can have difficulty with intrinsic motivation. They might not always value the academic knowledge itself as a reward.

Heck, sometimes even adults have this problem! Because of this, sometimes students may have trouble making the proper choices within the classroom. This is a problem that a token economy can solve.

If you’re thinking, “Oh great, more work piled on me as a teacher.” Don’t stress! This is a simple process to get up and running that will pay dividends in your classroom all year round…and I have a free lesson plan you can use to introduce the plan to your students. 😎

What is a Token Economy?

Before we dive into how to set up a token economy we have to specifically define what exactly it is. As an adult, when you hear the word economy your eyes might start to glaze over.

However, don’t worry, this is quite simple when we think about a token economy system. This is a behavior management system put in place where students can earn some sort of “token” for behaviors they improve upon and trade those tokens for rewards.

One token economy example would be a system in which tokens can then be redeemed for prizes in a school reward store in support of your PBIS initiatives. Just like an adult may “redeem” their paycheck for a new television, groceries, or any other number of things.

The Benefits of a Token Economy

The great thing about a token economy is that you as a teacher can use it to target any specific behavior you’d like your class or students to improve upon. 

Ideally, you may choose to focus on behavior from the following groupings: academic issues, social-emotional (SEL) issues, or behavioral issues. 

For example, if a student or class is struggling with getting homework or project-based learning activities turned in on time you then explain that students will earn tokens by achieving that behavior. 

The same can be said if the target falls in line with something under the PBIS and SEL umbrella or classroom behavioral issues. The goal is that students will see the potential reward opportunities in correcting these behaviors. 

Now, it’s important to also consider the rewards that your tokens can redeem. This is something that may ebb and flow as the school year goes on depending on your students' taste. It is essential though that when rewarding students…your students see value in the rewards.

You may consider it a great idea to fill it with whatever popular new item is out there, but once the zeitgeist has moved on to something else, students may be no longer interested. 

Don’t forget, opportunities are rewards as well. While everyone may enjoy a tangible item (like water bottle stickers), others might find more use in seat swaps or cutting the principal’s tie. They can make all the difference to a struggling student.

How to Set Up a Token Economy

Now that we know the ins and outs of just what makes up a token economy, let’s get one set up in your classroom.

When to Start

Ideally, your perfect opportunity to start such a practice would be at the start of a year, returning from a break, or at the beginning of the quarter, trimester, or semester. The reason for this is that it’s a clean break from how things were previously done in your classroom. 

It signals a new beginning to students and also allows for a fresh opportunity to try something new! 

Introducing the Rubric

One of the first components will be to show students what behaviors you are targeting within your behavior rubric. A great way to do this is to act out the behaviors you're seeing that you want to correct. 

This was something I did all the time with my students for a multitude of reasons. First, it allows me to get on their level. I can act a little silly as if I were one of their peers. This allows them to ease into this new system. 

On top of that though, it provides a specific visual for students to see what the class will be working on. This is essential. It’s one thing to tell a student “Don’t do that anymore!” It’s another thing for them to actively see their teacher doing the right thing so that they can make the connection.

Pick Your Rewards

Following this, you’ll need to show them what rewards can be earned and for how much. Remember, you are in complete control over reward types and frequency. It’s a good idea to have some rewards that require more tokens (like gift cards) so that students can work towards those.

It’s also a good idea though to have lower-tier rewards (like special pens) that some of your “frequent flyers” will also still be able to earn. The key is to make sure all students are given the ability to redeem their tokens. 

This can be challenging as a teacher if you have a student who often makes choices that are less than ideal. However, use your best judgment and seek them out for even the slightest change in behavior they provide. 

Tracking Your Progress

Lastly, it is essential to keep track of token distribution as an educator as well. This can be done with a Google Form or a digital behavior management system like LiveSchool.

A Lesson Plan for Introducing Your Token Economy

Click here to access a free lesson plan designed to introduce your Token Economy. 

Within it, it will allow you to customize what behaviors you hope to target, what rewards are available, and anything else you may need to get your token economy up and running. 

Remember, these things take time! Nothing in education is an overnight fix, and this is no different. However, with some time and effort, you’re going to see a positive change in your classroom.

It’s Time to Start Your Token Economy

Teaching is not easy. One could argue being a student is not easy either! The token economy is a great way to help ease the burden of both teaching and learning in your classroom. 

It offers a variety of components that can help target problem behaviors in the classroom, whether academic or social-emotional, and allows students to try to improve them by earning rewards. 

It’s a simple idea when you think about it. 

The ability to earn a reward can make all the difference in your classroom if given the opportunity.

Learn more about the author, 
Justin McElwee
 

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