Running a Student Store

For over ten years, I’ve run our classroom on a financial system and I truly do love it.

 

Students are given class cash, they pay rent, they can receive bonuses, and they occasionally might have to pay a fine.  It is constant real world application and students run the majority of it.

 

You can click HERE to read more about the ins and outs of it.

 

Obviously, students love to earn money and it’s always on our May Do board that they can count their cash (hello hidden math/life skill!).

 

While we do an auction 2-3 times a year, we do something monthly that is always extremely exciting and it’s called Student Store.

 

We do our Student Store the last Friday of every month.  It’s easy for me to remember and the kids literally mark it in their planners so that they know when to expect it.

 

 

Typically during math stations on that final Friday, I pull out bins (I use whatever I have on hand) and fill them with whatever items I have.

 

Now, we can’t do candy or food at our school, so there’s never any of that.  But, there are so many other options!

 

Awhile back, I created an Amazon wishlist and it’s part of my signature on all parent emails.  In the beginning of the year, I explain (via email) what we do during Student Store and I provide the Amazon link.  This is 100% optional but I always have a few parents that are willing to help out by purchasing something.

 

If that isn’t an option for you, things like THESE tickets are a no/low cost way to “sell” at a store.

 

Typically, I will have a mix of laptop stickers, mechanical pencils, gel pens, puzzle erasers, little cans of Play-doh, keychains (the Target party section is great for these), friendship bracelets, or small toys.  I have all our faves in HERE.

 

Speaking of small toys, I will often round up the kids’ meal toys my own children have gotten (and played with) and bring them in, too.

 

I keep a gauge on about how much money my students have.  Sometimes I’ll have them put their total on a Google form I whip up or sometimes they just write the amount on their whiteboards and hold it up.

 

From there, I make prices.  These change almost every month because I base it on what they have.

 

For example, if we are at a point in the year where they have a lot of money, I might charge $200 for a mechanical pencil but if it’s the beginning of the year and we’re just starting out, it might only cost $50.  As a class, we talk about why the prices fluctuate and also why some items cost more than others.

 

It truly depends on how much you give out and deduct.

 

I just write the price on a sticky note and put it right on the bin so they know the cost of the items in that box.

 

Now, while they’re in their math stations, I call their name and ask if they’d like to shop.  Some thoughts on this:

 

-I do call students first who have no missing assignments.  It’s a big push we all do as a grade level team to get students middle school ready and they’re able to check their assignments via their online portal. This is something we heavily practice and is an expectation.  Everyone does get a chance to shop but I do call in order of no missing assignments.

 

-Students can decline to shop.  If there’s nothing they want or if they’re saving money (or short on money), they say, “No thank you.”

 

-While I have students run the cash box and collecting rent and paying out for jobs, I run the store.  I just sit next to the bins and help with counting or even with making choices (some get overwhelmed and need a little guidance).

 

-I typically allow 3-5 kids to shop at a time.  I have 32-34 students so it takes about 30 minutes to get through the whole class.  Doing this during math stations is what I’ve found works best for us.

 

The kids absolutely love it and it’s a great way to practice SO many life skills, from budgeting to making good decisions.

 

Any questions?  Ask below!