While teaching an extremely challenging 1/2 split class I was looking for ways to manage the students who needed it while being able to reward the students who constantly deserved it. So we started using monopoly money. Each student had an envelope in their desk with their name on it for safe keeping of their money. We talked about them being responsible for looking after their money and if it did go missing it was not being replaced. There were students who learned this lesson the hard way (they rarely put their money away - just shoving it in their desks).
The bathroom was a large problem in our classroom as students were asking to go multiple times throughout the day - the monopoly money helped with this. The students could use the washroom for free before and after recess and lunch but if they chose to go during class time they had to pay $5 of their money. Students could earn monopoly money for following directions, lining up quietly, doing their assigned tasks, etc. I would quietly walk over and place the money on their desk - being sure not to make a huge deal about the money. Students could lose their money for disrupting other students, not following directions, etc. If a student was losing their money I would write their name on the board and the amount they owed me. Most things lost $5.
We had a classroom store and on Friday afternoons I would allow the students who wanted to, to come up and spend their money at the store. I had purchased some small toys from the dollar store and also reward cards such as "eat at the teachers desk", "chew gum for the day", "teacher buys your snack", etc.
The students also knew that they could save their money until the end of the year so they could buy tickets on the raffle draws. I had made 3 baskets for the class to buy tickets on. Each basket had a theme "summer fun", "arts and crafts" and "outdoor fun". Each ticket for the raffle cost $5. Some students, by the end of the year had earned over $1000 and some students had choose to buy things throughout the year and did not have as much money when the raffles came along.
I know it seems like a lot of work but it was worth it to keep this class under control. The money was something they responded well to. It was easy once we got going and the students understood how the whole thing worked. It helped them learn the value of money, being responsible and taking care of the money they earned.
I have put the link to the site I printed the monopoly money from! Good luck with your classroom management endeavors!
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