Evidence of Learning Assessment #5 

Student: ​Maansi Chodavarapu 

Mentor Name:​ Ms. Laurie Pertile 

Profession:​ Investment Adviser Representative 

Business Name:​ Clark Financial Group Inc. 

Date of Mentor Meeting:​ Monday, February 18, 2019 

Time:​ 2:00 p.m. 

Analysis: 

If I learned anything about kids, it is that they can be extremely unpredictable. 

This past Monday, I met with seven sixth graders to hear their inputs on my original 

work. Since my seminar targets middle school children, what better way to gauge their 

interest in the program than to directly ask them. I half-expected them to groan and 

complain about learning finance and budgeting, but surprisingly they were extremely 

enthusiastic. As budding teenagers, they felt that learning how to handle expenses 

made them feel older, more mature, and even like an adult.  

I started by asking what they would like to learn about finance, which would 

influence the content at the heart of the program. The main response I got was to 

explain what types of expenses an adult has and how do to manage them. Taxes, loans, 

and mortgages also fell into this category. Besides expenses and savings, the kids 

wanted to know the government’s relationship with money. They are especially 

curious as to what factors determine the value of a currency, since their world 
geography class talks about current events and news like the 2008 Recession. The stock 

market also piqued their interest as the kids believed that stocks were the easiest way 

to make money. And they did not just stop there, in fact, these children wanted to learn 

about predicting market trends, about inflation, and about tariffs in a global economy. 

But I had to stop them there because I did not want to go too deep into finance as a 

subject in the seminar. I stayed grounded by reminding myself that the goal of the 

program was simply to teach middle school children the value of savings and 

budgeting, not have them become financial experts. 

After what to learn, I asked the children how they want to learn. As a student 

myself, I understand the tediousness of listening to countless lectures and reading 

endless chapters in the textbook. I wanted to branch out and teach in an active and 

engaging way, but I personally did not know how. The students suggested that I use 

some PowerPoints to introduce the various concepts, but teach them through hands-on 

games. For instance, I could create a life-size Monopoly that includes squares with 

realistic expenses like insurance and retirement funds, which would then educate 

players without boring them. In addition, I could give each student some fake money at 

the beginning of the seminar and test how effectively they can budget throughout the 

program to save for long-term financial success. I would give them opportunities to 

invest in stocks and set aside money for their 401K, while charging them taxes and loan 

payments. This would teach them how to budget and save money in a practical 

manner.  
 The one thing the students told me not to do was to create a digital platform 

teaching the content. They actually learn about finance in school through a online 

software. But the kids find it boring since there is no human interaction, competitive 

spirit, and active games to keep them engaged. This narrowed down the methods that I 

can effectively convey my message, as the kids prefer small group, hands-on activities 

over digital games and lectures. 

Lastly, the middle schoolers gave me a brilliant suggestion for the final game 

show. According to my original work proposal, I wanted to include a game at the end of 

the seminar to ultimately test the effectiveness of the program. The students suggested 

that I open fake accounts for each kid and give them money at the beginning of the 

seminar with opportunities to invest it in stocks or funds. On the last day, I would have 

five stations set up, each with ways to improve the student’s portfolio. The students 

would have one hour to best budget their money to ensure long-term financial success. 

For instance, one station would have a trivia about financial concepts covered in the 

seminar, where right answers would earn the student money. In addition, there could 

be a bank station with computers in which students can access their account and 

transfer money between stocks, accounts, and funds. The kids wanted the 

environment to be fast-paced and chaotic because it would demand both their mental 

and physical alertness. This type of environment creates a healthy competition which 

furthermore motivates the student. At the end, the student with the most balanced 

portfolio that ensures the most success in the long-term would earn a prize.   
 Sitting down with middle schoolers unexpectedly solidified my ideas for the 

seminar and also motivated me to pursue my cause. The students showed genuine 

interest in learning about finance and budgeting, but are not given the proper tools to 

further this interest. I hope to turn my seminar into a tool that prepares kids to handle 

their financial health. In addition, their ideas were unique and reflected their needs as 

students - they wanted smaller classes, less monotonous activities, and a more 

practical approach, which gave me ideas of how I can teach the various concepts. With 

this meeting, my brainstorming phase of the original work concluded as I need to start 

narrowing down ideas and solidifying a concrete plan.