One gal screamed out, “I want Just Bieber!” Her male classmate yelled out in response, “I want Megan Fox.” I reluctantly added these to the white board next to items like shoes, clothing, iPod, and Xbox. I failed to specific that the goal was to list out items we wanted and we needed that had a monetary value.

The next session, Banking, went relatively well. During this session, I taught the students how to fill out a deposit slip, a withdrawal slip, how to use a check register, and how to write I check. I was impressed how many students already knew how to write a check. I used this to my advantage by asking a student to come up and show the class. Since, I have recognized that allowing the students to teach the class in this way is an effective teaching technique. It gives the students more ownership of the material and a better chance at retaining it.

A common asked by our volunteers is why we teach students about check books, and registers when they are on their way out. My answer is two-fold: first, we teach the students about writing checks because they will have to write a check in their life even if it’s less than in the old days. Second, knowing how to use a check register exemplifies proper money management techniques of budgeting and record keeping. While they may never use a register, they will need to master these techniques to take control their financial future.

Since we provide each student with a check register, I had to explain how to use it. Unfortunately, I have never used a register since I write so few checks! To underscore the importance of a check register, I explain to the class how I sometimes receive checks from family, work, or friends and I can go months without cashing them. They understood what it means to bounce a check which helped me convince them of the need to keep track of outstanding checks.

Side note: The check registers have been a source of continuous embarrassment for me. At a difference school, one student asked me what the check mark column was was on the check register. I honestly had no idea! I have never used it, so their teacher chimed in and we all learned it was for noting the purchase as tax deductible. In the same class, I then showed them how to put the check register and the checkbook into the little blue case. I never keep my checkbook in the case (let alone with a register) so I put it in upside down and the teacher called me out on it.

At the close of our second hour together the students felt very comfortable with me. One student even gave me the nick name: “J money.” This friendliness was a sign of the chaos to come during our third session together.