Shelby Lattimore, a 3rd grade math and science teacher at Renaissance West STEAM Academy in Charlotte, N.C., introduced the idea of classroom jobs and a reward system to her students at the beginning of the school year. When she noticed how quickly they grasped the concepts, she slowly incorporated 鈥攍ike rent, inflation, and currency exchange rates鈥攖o keep her students engaged.
The result is a classroom economy: a microcosm of real-world economics at play without real-world consequences if students make a mistake.
Here, Lattimore shares her tips for how other teachers can get started, and explains why it鈥檚 important to introduce younger students to these concepts.
