Put In Your Two Cents

Student Contributor: B.Bazaldua
This tool is used to prevent the same handful of students from responding all the time. Each student gets two pretend pennies and each time they respond they must put a penny in the jar. They may not give a response until everyone else has put in their two cents. This management tool is great for all grade bands because all classrooms can benefit from giving students equal chances to participate.

For this tool, the teacher will label a container or jar with “Put Your Two Cents In”. Each student is given two pretend pennies before the lesson begins. Students will be reminded that they only get two chances to share their answers/ideas with the class. Once they have no pennies left they must wait and give other students a chance to share before the pennies are dispersed again. This tool will provide students with equal chances to participate in classroom activities. Not only does it promote equal learning opportunities but it also teaches those students who are constantly speaking out to practice their listening skills as others speak.

This tool could truly be placed in both the supportive and preventative phases of classroom management. The supportive phase embraces supportive positive behavior choices which in this case this tool supports students listening and taking turns speaking. I chose to place it mainly in the preventative phase because the tool prevents the same students from responding all the time. It encourages each student to raise their hand and contribute to the lesson. This tool is a student-directed and collaborative theory of influence because the students are in charge of when they choose to spend their pennies but they have to work together as a team to listen to others while they talk and put in their two cents.

More Information –
Tool Source: We Are Teachers Blog
https://tinyurl.com/2p8v3mru

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