When I was visiting a school in Henrico County, the teacher showed me how they used beans as a form of management. Evidently, it is a school wide system. Here is how it worked..
The teacher had a box of different colored beans he keeps at his front desk. Each bean was worth a different amount of points. Children were rewarded points for different things they did. Each child has a little container that they could keep their beans in (an old film canister).
Examples: following directions, completing assignments, being helpful, extra credit, helping other students, receiving good grades, etc.
On the flip side however, students could also LOSE their beans if they were not doing what they were supposed to.
Examples: not completing homework, arguing with the teacher, not following directions, being rude to classmates, etc.
Every Monday, students had the chance to exchange their beans. For example, if they have five 10-point beans, they could exchange them for a 50-point bean. *This a is a great way to incorporate math
Twice a year, there would be a "bean auction" in the schools. Students could then use their beans to buy different things from the "bean auction".
I LOVED this idea for classroom management. For one, students have to be responsible for their own beans. Furthermore, the form of classroom management does not take away from learning. If a student does not do something right they do not miss out on play time etc. -- they simply must hand over their beans and class time continues.
The only downside to this idea is that as a teacher, keeping track of all the beans could get hectic and frustrating.
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