You’ve probably heard of Olympia’s newest reward system: Titan Bucks!  If not, you’ll learn all about it in this article. Several students have been curious about how the system started, how exactly it works, how we can use it to help the student body, etc.  The creators of the Titan Bucks system have given an insightful glimpse into the creative process and structure of the whole thing.

First, let’s discuss how Titan Bucks started.  According to Sydney Gass and Glorie Joseph, two of Olympia’s seniors, the idea began with a meeting of students and staff discussing the school’s learning environment.  “We wanted to brainstorm ideas to increase student involvement around the school and promote positive behavior,” Gass stated.  Joseph adds that the staff and students “split up into two groups,” each “presenting” their ideas for this new project.  The creators determined that a reward system would allow students to see “real change within the school.”  Titan Bucks were created to encourage constructive behavior among the student body while allowing students to actually experience the benefits through a reward system. 

Now, let’s move on to the goals that the creators of Titan Bucks are hoping to accomplish with the system. Gass explains that Titan Bucks are a helpful tool to “promote positive behavior and academic excellence,” through a “positive reinforcement system.”   Joseph claims that a reward system will encourage students to “follow OCPS policies.”  As outlined by the creators, Titan Bucks were created to inspire positive behavior among the student body through a reward system.

Since we now know the goals of Titan Bucks, let’s explore some logistics behind the system, and how the goals will be accomplished.  One question brought up by the student body is what the Titan Buck distribution is based on.  Is there a specific criteria in place for how students show “participation,” or do teachers have decisive liberty in that area?  Gass recounts that during the student and staff meeting,  examples of participation were mentioned, “such as a student holding a door open” or just generally “engaging in a positive act that they would not usually do.”  However, it is still “mostly up to the teachers” to decide what is Titan-Buck-worthy behavior.  Joseph builds on this point, saying that “it depends on the teachers.” The creators have outlined that the criteria for earning a Titan Buck is mostly up to the teachers; it is not a concrete system, which leads into the next point.

Some Olympia students are inquisitive about the nature of “class participation,” and what that means in this context.  Several personal accounts have revealed that a few common ways to win a Titan Buck are by answering difficult questions in class, asking multiple questions in class, and verbally encouraging other students in class.  While these are examples of class participation, they all come back to students showing extroverted behavior. Many raise the question of how we will reward students who show other, less-gregarious forms of participation, such as introverted students or English-language-learners.  Gass explains that Titan Bucks “can be used in a lot of ways,” and that teachers are encouraged to “give them out for other things, like exceptional behavior from an introverted student.”  Joseph further illustrates this concept, adding that a Titan Buck can be given when a student acts “respectful to a teacher,”  shows “diligence in class,” or even when trying to “come out of their shell.”

Overall, Titan Bucks are a multifaceted creation.  They exist to promote class participation among students by rewarding said participation, while also encouraging the student body as a whole to act accordingly.  The criteria for Titan Buck distribution is mostly up to the teachers.  Many students are hoping that teachers will find ways to reward forms of class participation that aren’t purely centered around being talkative in class.  This would likely benefit the student body, as students who are learning English, students with verbal disabilities, etc. would be rewarded and gain an incentive to show positive behavior.  There are a lot of ways Titan Bucks can be used to foster class participation, and it is a relatively new project; things can only go up from here.