Teaching Tip: Create Classroom Coupons to Save Time and Money

Do you have a Treasure Chest? Do you spend so much money on it that you are going broke? I did the exact same thing when I first started teaching. Then I Created Classroom Coupons and saved myself a ton of time and money!

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What are Classroom Coupons?

Classroom Coupons are called by lots of names, Reward Coupons, Reward Cards, etc. They all are essentially the same thing. They are little cards that are given to students to turn in for a reward. Most of the time, these rewards are free to the teacher. Some favorites of my students include Line Leader and Listen to Music While Working.

Why use Classroom Coupons?

Ultimately the goal is to get students intrinsically motivated to do everything that needs to be done. Realistically, students need some sort of external motivation to get them going in the beginning. These rewards get spaced out so they are given less and less until students no longer rely on them. A Classroom Coupon is an alternative to toys and other junk that fill a Treasure Chest.

How do I implement Classroom Coupons?

The choice is ultimately up to you. For example, students that have a great week can choose a prize on Fridays. Sometimes, I use the coupons as an additional reward, like someone making a goal in class!

Personally, I put some Classroom Coupons out in a box and change them up as the school year progresses. I still have a Treasure Chest, but there are far fewer items inside of it. The box of Classroom Coupons fit nicely inside. When a student chooses a Classroom Coupon, I write their name on it with a dry erase marker and tape it to my Smart Board. When the student wants to redeem the coupon, I pull down the Classroom Coupon, erase their name, and add it back into the Treasure Chest.

How do I store Classroom Coupons?

As stated above, I keep my coupons in a box. In the past, I kept them in a binder in baseball card sleeves. Find what works for you and go for it! 

The ArtBin below is the exact one I use. In fact, I have two of these bins. One is kept for students to use in the Treasure Chest. The other bin is used to store all of the cards that are not in current use. 

Be careful of the baseball card sleeves. They work really well size wise. My problem was that the cards would always fall out anytime I tipped the binder over. (I tended to do this a lot since I am a klutz!)

          

Where do I get Classroom Coupons?

You can definitely make your own! If you would like to save yourself even more time, I created some EDITABLE ones that you can personalize for your classroom. Click on any picture below to find the right ones for your classroom.

          

Personally, I use the Pirate Themed ones! I love them in my Pirate Classroom!

Want More Teaching Tips? Check these out!

            

 What is your favorite teaching tip?