Use of Gold Pieces

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What things do you award gold pieces for? Right now in my class, students get gold pieces for defeating a boss and when they train their pet. Looking for some new ideas.

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High school science here.

I like to give GP for participating in Spirit Week.

I give them during holidays (Black Friday sale money, Christmas bonus, etc.).

I give them out for birthdays (200 to birthday person and 50 to the team (like party favors, if you will)).

It took me a while to get a little more loose with my coin giving but I came to the realization you want to keep money flowing to the players so they can buy outfits and keep their own hype going. 

Nicholas, we do so many of the same things! I essentially reward GP for in-class accomplishments that aren't necessarily curricular. i.e.: Sharing a news story, performing a song, etc.

One thing I like about GP is you can also set negative presets so you can use it like currency. I let students spend GP for "Power-Ups" which are little cards I made up that do different things (like restore HP, get a free answer during a boss battle, avoid a Book of Laments punishment, etc.). Additionally, if they want to switch characters, teams, powers, names, I make them pay for me to make those changes.

We have a PBIS program at our school and teachers hand out what we call "Paws for Applause" tickets.  If a student shows me a PAWS ticket, they earn GP - it doesn't matter to me which teacher gave it to them.  I figured if they can be recognized for being good, I am all over it.

I also use the GP, or I should say the students use it, when they forget their pencil, don't have any paper, need a pen, have to go back out to their backpack for something, etc.

You can also use both XP and GP as a reward for turning in an assignment early or on-time, earning high scores on tests/quizzes, not missing a homework assignment for the week, having a top-notch planner, etc.

As teachers we have a tendency to talk a lot about our students.  Sometimes another teacher will share something awesome about a kid with me.  I make sure I make a big deal of it in my classroom (with the other teacher's permission, of course) and award a special gift of GP to the student.  Again...catch them being good.  This works particularly well for my behaviorally challenged students.  Sometimes the student who never does his/her homework if very polite and respectful in the office.  If I can make sure I praise him/her for this behavior, it helps me to develop a good rapport with a student who could be very difficult to develop rapport with at all.

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