Tony Wright who is a Career and Technical Education teacher at Warren Mott High School in Warren, MI shared his vast Budget Challenge experience with us.
What has been your favorite part of Budget Challenge as a teacher?
I enjoy the way the material is laid out for students. It's solid curriculum but the video tutorials explain it in a way that most kids are able to participate fully
What is the biggest challenge as a teacher when using Budget Challenge?
Planning and sequencing is always a struggle but Budget Challenge does a nice job of helping with self graded assignments.
What is the biggest challenge for students participating in Budget Challenge?
The biggest challenge has been the number of unit quizzes. It's typically a tough sell to get kids to buy into so many quizzes in such a short time. I would suggest offering less tests but more questions with combined content.
Are there any tips you can give to new teachers using Budget Challenge?
The first piece I would recommend to a teacher that is planning to roll out budget challenge is to play yourself. We teach similar content but there are some specifics that are easier to explain when you have played the interactive rather than review material.
How have your students responded to Budget Challenge?
They like the bill pay activity really well. They typically perform well on early quizzes and struggle toward the end. This year, we are going to augment with the investing segment.
Do you have a Budget Challenge story that is especially memorable?
One day, I was performing hall duty before class begun. I walked into class during a "robust" discussion about debit cards v credit cards and the advantages / disadvantages of each. It has been a minute since a "robust" discussion in my class hasn't been about nonsense and was, instead, about financial literacy components. I smiled a bit on the way home that day.
