Sharon Entzminger
Winfield Elementary
Carroll County Public Schools
Take a peek into Sharon Entzminger’s third grade class at Winfield Elementary School in Carroll County and you might find students budgeting classroom “cash” or creating prototypes of products they want to sell.
This immersive approach is part of Sharon’s educational philosophy, developed over 19 years of teaching. “Students gain more when they’re experiencing learning in real life,” she explains. “Living a topic is so different from reading about it.”
The Carroll County curriculum includes economics as a third grade lesson, and Sharon has made the most of it, developing a variety of ways to bring real world context into the classroom. Starting 12 years ago, she brought an experience called the Econ Fair to Winfield that she had seen as a student teacher. “This program gives students a tangible application of finance and economics in an engaging and memorable way. We’re teaching students how to budget their money, invest in a product, and teamwork.”
The Econ Fair challenges third grade students to come up with ideas for products that would be of interest to classmates. Guided by third grade teachers at the school, each class votes on their product of choice, which that class then puts into production (200-300 pieces) for sale at the annual Econ Fair.
Students pick their company name, set the price based on material cost and profit goals, and create advertisements. From slime and candy bars to keychains, night lights and spoon catapults, the fun products are always a hit. To round out the real-world learning, Sharon and her fellow educators teach students about philanthropy by pooling profits into two $500 scholarships for local high schoolers.
In addition to the Econ Fair, Sharon gives her students the opportunity to earn “Cat Cash” for good classroom behavior. “Students make choices about how they want to spend their Cat Cash, or if they want to save up for a larger prize. Budgeting is critical and life, and these students are learning it early!”
She shared these methods with fellow educators at MCEE’s 2024 Financial and Economic Educator Summit this past summer. Sharon guided educators in ways to create similar programs in their schools. Says Sharon, “I’ve had a wonderful experience with MCEE. I felt a tremendous sense of community at the Summit and quickly realized all that MCEE has to offer teachers. I appreciated the sessions I attended as well as the materials I walked away with, which included read-alouds and books for specific subjects.”
When it comes to advice for other teachers, Sharon has this to say: “Start small. You could hold an Econ Fair in your classroom or perhaps with just one grade level. Be patient and consistent. And include your students in decision making!”
