Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire - Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Taxman

            Economics seem like a complicated subject for elementary school students, but Rafe lays out a system that helps make it a topic both more easy to grasp and more fun for young people.

            On the first day of class, he explains, each of his students apply for a class job. They are each given a list of jobs and job descriptions to choose from, and most students get one of their first choices. The jobs get different “pay” (fake cash) based on how often tasks must be performed.

            Each child gets a monthly paycheck, which they deposit to the banker. They must save their money, because they have to pay rent to sit at their desks. The closer the students sit to the front, the more they must pay. Students can even save up to “buy” their desks and call them condos, or buy the desks of other students and charge rent.  They can make extra money by participating in certain activities, and are “fined” by the police officer for tardiness, or failure to do work. At the end of the month, an auction is held where the children can buy school supplies.

            Rafe does this activity for a variety of reasons. It is important, he believes, that children learn how to organize and balance their time. It is also beneficial for them to learn about ownership, saving money, and delayed gratification.