Class Dojo

CLASS DOJO

My students do good all the time.  They come to class on time.  They bring their materials.  They participate in small group activities.  They contribute to class discussions.  They are mentally engaged and focused on the class lesson.   They are good citizens who are polite, responsible, kind, respectful, conscientious, pleasant, and funny.

Class Dojo is an app used in this class to recognize students for their positive classroom behavior and to promote good learning habits.  Too often in schools today, the energy of the teacher is focused on redirecting misbehavior (what I call the “shushing syndrome”).  As teachers seeks to maintain order in the classroom, good student behavior can get taken for granted.

Class Dojo aims to reverse this model by providing an avenue for the teacher to regularly affirm students by giving Class Dojo points to students for contributing positively to the classroom environment.  Consequently, the Class Dojo system also serves to promote specific positive behaviors and study habits that are designated by the teacher.  

At the beginning of the year, I pre-select behaviors that are awarded Class Dojo points .  These behaviors are learning habits that I am hoping that students will develop and continue to build on throughout the year.  Some typical behaviors we may select to promote and recognize at the beginning of the year include:

  *Answering or asking a questions during class discussions

  *Collaborating with their team

 *Being prepared to start class  

 *Using the phrases "I notice..." and "I wonder..." in the context off class discussions

Midway through the year, I have students brainstorm different behaviors (good citizenship acts and productive learning behaviors) that they would like to see more of in the classroom.  To begin the process, students consider the “golden rule” of treating others the way they want to be treated.  I ask the students how they want to be treated in class and we then incorporate those ideas and values into a new Class Dojo behavior point system to be used for the remainder of the year.  This is a joint venture so that we, as a class, can build a positive and productive learning environment together.  

I will use Class Dojo to:

1) post pictures and videos of what's going on in class

2)  Track student behavior points

There are a variety of ways that parents can use the Class Dojo app to get more involved with their student's math learning at AMS in 8th grade math.

HOW PARENTS CAN USE CLASS DOJO:

1) Check out Class Story (set up a notification on your phone).  These Class Story posts will share a snippet of what we are learning in class on a particular day (picture, video, announcements).  Ask your student to talk about / explain what was mentioned in the Class Story post.  This can lead to awesome conversations about math and learning.

2) Look on the Class Dojo app to see what behaviors your student earned positive points for on a particular day and affirm him/her for the good work.  If negative points are given, talk to your student about these distracting behaviors and how they can be addressed.  If you do this once a week, your student will know that you are checking on their progress and that you care enough to be giving them positive recognition.  Don't necessarily be alarmed if there are days when few or no points are given.  

If you haven’t yet registered for Class Dojo, please contact your child's teacher for your parent code so you can be part of the fun!  You can learn more about Class Dojo on their website.

Note: Some 8th grade teachers use Class Dojo and others do not.  Each teacher also uses it in different ways.  Teachers will also start using Class Dojo at different times, so be on the lookout for a registration from your student.  Note:  Class Dojo is completely FREE to use - if it prompts you to subscribe or pay for extra features, just close that screen, there’s no need to pay for using it.