A Class Management Tool You Never Knew You Always Needed

Have you heard about Class Dojo yet?

If not, this is your lucky day!  If so, lucky you! 

I had read about Class Dojo on two different blogs and signed up for it back in September, but then I promptly forgot all about it.  (Shocking, I know, what with all my free time floating around and everything.)  Then I read about the site on yet ANOTHER blog and remembered I signed up but never used it!

Let me tell you:  this website is AWESOME.  It allows teachers to provide students with instant feedback on their behavior, positive and negative, so that not only do you redirect those who need it, but you also affirm those who often get overlooked because they are ALWAYS doing the right thing.

I often feel like the students who behave poorly are getting all my attention, which must surely be frustrating for the students who work so hard to do their best constantly.  This site allows you to give points for positive behaviors and take away points for misbehavior.  It also is completely customizable, so I was able to go in and add my own behaviors that apply to my own classroom.  Here are some peeks into Class Dojo's awesomeness:

This is the home screen where you can click a student's name to award/deduct a point.  This is what is displayed in my class pretty much ALL day long, unless we're doing something else on the Smartboard or projector.

When you click on a student's name, you see this screen, where you can award a positive point to that student.  To see the negative behaviors, just click on that red tab, and you'll see those options:

Here are the negative behaviors.  Many of them are unique to me, but you can change them to fit what goes on in your room.  :D

This is a view of my entire class report beginning December 1st.  (You can make the date range whatever you like and either print or email the report--I will be emailing individual student reports to their parents on a weekly or bi-weekly basis beginning in January.)  Strangely, the kids LOVE seeing this report at the end of each day.  So funny.

Here is a report of an individual student and her points.  As you can see, it shows she has had ALL positive points, but the best part is that it shows exactly HOW she earned her points.  AWESOME.

See?  Awesome.

One of my favorite things about Class Dojo, is that since we began using it, I have noticed students really supporting each other.  When one of them gets a point, I'll always hear someone congratulating that student with a "Good job, Susie," or "Wow, Kent, you got a point!"  They are especially supportive when a student who struggles with behavior (and gets many points taken away) earns a positive point.  It is really neat to see them stick together and caring about one another.  Score one for the TEAM!

OK, two more important things: 

1) every time I award or take away a point, it flashes on the screen and either dings (+) or buzzes (-), shows the student's name and the behavior they were displaying.

2) there is an APP FOR THAT!  That's right, peeps, if you have an iPhone, you can download the app and use your phone as a remote for Class Dojo.  I use this all the time, even in the hallway and cafeteria.  

SERIOUSLY?  The best.  Thing.  Ever.  If you're not on board yet, you must be crazy.   :)

Holla.