As a business teacher, I like to run my classroom like a business. Using this system, I’m the boss and the students in my classroom are my “employees.” After getting through my first-year teaching, I found myself saying things like “if you were my employees…” or “if you exhibited this behavior towards your future boss…” a lot in my classroom. Once I realized this and saw how beneficial it was to point out these things to my students, I knew it was something that I wanted to incorporate regularly into my classroom management routine.
After implementing this system, I’ve found that it truly helps students get a better grasp on how to be a good student and employee because I’m able to relate the traits and real-life things occurring in their current lives to their future lives. Running my classroom as a business is how I begin the year, how I handle discipline/rewards, and how I reflect on the school year. It carries out effortlessly through the school year in a classroom setting that already works to prepare students for their future in a career and technology education setting.
Teachers Guide
The complete system with all of the documents and expectations can be found on my TpT store. When you download this resource, it starts with a teacher guide that will walk you through more thoroughly what’s included and how you can use each item.
Employee Handbook
Once schedule changes have stopped, the first thing I do with my students is go over my classroom expectations. I call this the employee handbook. It’s a PowerPoint that introduces the concept of the boss/employee idea and your classroom procedures to students. It allows you to talk about each specific course you teach as well as the procedures that are in place to run your classroom like a business. To accompany this PowerPoint, there is an interactive syllabus for students to complete. I have my students complete this, sign it, and have a guardian sign it as their first grade.
Job Application
Just like in the “real world” when you want a job, you have to apply. I use the job application as a way for me to get to know my students. Throughout the year when I have an issue with a student or need to help them get back on track, I pull out this sheet. The questions on it will give you answers as to what each student likes to do and their parent contact information.
Interviews
The interview is the second get to know you activity I use. Here, the class gets to participate together and get to know each other. I have a PowerPoint that I use to guide this activity. I’ll walk them through it and show them the examples and expectations along the way.
Warning Slips
Teachers know that not all discipline is "write-up" worthy. Using warning slips helps me tackle more in the classroom. When a student exhibits an unnecessary behavior, give them this slip to complete. It's great to keep for future records as well. It’s a great first step to discipline and for most students, it’s the only step I have to take. After they reflect on their actions, my expectations, and a guardian is notified, they know I’m serious about my classroom expectations and they follow them.
Bonus/Raise
Bonus/raise tickets are used for individual student classroom incentives. When a student goes above and beyond, they get a bonus - just like they would in a real-life job. There are multiple options included of what you can do for these as their prize!
Employee Goals
As teachers, our administration often asks us to set goals. The same thing happens in many other work spaces as well. This sheet allows students to set their own goals. Better yet, it’s designed to help keep them accountable for reaching the goals that they set.
Employee Evaluations
A boss will often evaluate employees in a career setting to help them improve at their job and tell them what they’re doing well. Evaluations are great to do in the classroom when progress reports or report cards are about to come out. Complete the sheet to help students reach their goals and let them know how you think they're doing in your class. You can either hand them the sheet and allow them to read it or conference with students to review individually.
Employee Accountability
In an age of project-based learning and differentiated instruction, we often have students up and out of their seats working with others. I often say “if you don’t do the work, I can’t give you the grade” in my classroom. Using these accountability sheets, teachers can make sure everyone is doing their part to earn their grade, not have it handed to them for someone else’s work. This also comes with a group work poster that you can hang in your room so students know your expectations of them!
Exit Interviews
Feedback is so important. Employers know it and conduct exit interviews when a good employee quits their job, so why shouldn't teachers do the same when their students finish the class? This sheet includes questions that will have students reflect on their time in your classroom to help you improve and reflect on your instruction.
Classroom Incentives
Personally, I like to have students encourage each other. Using this classroom incentive competition helps achieve that. Your students will be competing with their class hour to see which of your classes can do the best and earn a prize (everyone passes a test, all projects were turned in on time, the class was on task when you had to step out in the hall, etc.). Once a quarter, we will have a prize day for the winning class (such as a potluck, a movie day, game day, etc.)
By using these processes, I am able to effectively run my classroom like a business. Between starting the school year, handling discipline, keeping students accountable, and incentivizing them, it’s all handled using this technique. If you’re looking to easily implement these methods, you can find them completed and bundled with further instructions on my TpT store here. I hope you are able to incorporate these activities in your classroom and have them be as effective and useful as I have.
Comments