Our Purpose

Our goal is to provide a spot for tested, successful, and meaningful activities for practical teachers to utilize. Look for these regular features in addition to weekly blog posts: Tech. Tip Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday (quote or picture with no additional narrative), Doodad Day (reviews of items we use in the classroom).


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The Dojo of Behavior

I have been waiting for the official start of school to blog about one of my FAVORITE management tools!  If you haven't heard of ClassDojo, the short story is:  FREE, EASY, and POSITIVE. This tool has my complete endorsement.

I still can't get over the fact it is free!  I have been using the program of adorable little monsters for 5 school months.  In that time, improvements have been made consistently - all free. 

ClassDojo can run on an interactive whiteboard, a computer connected to a projector, or even just a Smart Phone, tablet or iPod touch! The only thing you really need is some kind of computer device in the classroom (just one, for the teacher, is enough) and an Internet connection.

This classroom tool helps teachers improve behavior in their classrooms quickly and easily. It also captures and generates data on behavior that teachers can opt to share with parents and administrators.  ClassDojo provides instant notifications for your students (‘Well done Josh! +1 for teamwork!’). My class is very attentive to the *ding* of positive behavior witnessed.  What a pleasure to focus on the modeling of positive behavior more often than the one that needs correction!

First, I set up my class' first names, entered positive point behaviors (such as helping a classmate, encouraging others, staying on task, etc.) and negative (-1 point) consequences for behavior such as no homework, arguing, inappropriate language, etc.  Each students is rewarded for earning 10 points (for now).  My rewards are no-cost class coupons (from TpT).  Current student favorites are renting the teacher's chair for the day, lunch with the teacher, and earning 10 extra minutes of recess for the class. You can reward more than one child at a time too.  Yesterday, I gave 5 members of my class each an extra point for encouraging others - all with a few clicks. 

When a reward level is earned, you set that one student back to zero - and they start earning again! I really like that option since it is not publicly embarrassing since each student may be on a different number, some for their first attempt and others for their fourth.   

Last week, a parent asked to be informed of their child's behavior.  I gave her the Parent Letter (resource).  She logged on, set a password, and can now check on her daughter's behavior anytime from her Smart Phone. For a particular child last year, the ClassDojo report (as documentation) for his Behavior Assessment was valuable!

Bonus:  You can take daily attendance on the site too.  As students arrive in the morning, they touch their avatar, which marks them present.  If you save the attendance, the points board shows only students present and earning for the day. 

Check out all the resources available to you and/or your school at   http://www.classdojo.com/share/

FREE.  EASY.  POSITIVE.
I guarantee you'll love it!
 ~A

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