Class Dojo has emerged as a widely adopted, albeit debated, digital tool designed for classroom behavior management. Across various grade levels, educators frequently recommend it, yet my personal experience remains limited. Therefore, I’ve invited Amanda Killough, a seasoned middle school Social Studies teacher with eleven years in the classroom, to share her insights on leveraging Class Dojo to cultivate positive behavior among her students and the class as a whole. Welcome, Amanda, and thank you for lending your expertise!
Navigating the world of middle school education is certainly not for the faint of heart. Often, upon disclosing my grade level, I’m met with sympathetic glances and the customary “Bless your heart!” However, I genuinely cherish the middle grades, embracing the unique challenges they present. Managing middle schoolers can feel akin to herding cats at times, but Class Dojo serves as a valuable asset in simplifying this task.
For the past two years, Dojo has been an integral part of my classroom, and I’ve grown to appreciate it immensely! This complimentary online platform empowers teachers to establish virtual classrooms and monitor both commendable and less desirable behaviors exhibited during class. Initially, I questioned whether my middle school cohort might perceive Dojo as childish or frivolous. My concerns were unfounded; middle school students are genuinely enthusiastic about Dojo!
Setting up and navigating Class Dojo is remarkably straightforward—a definite advantage for educators. Simply register using your school email, and you’re all set to begin. Once logged in, you can personalize each class with distinct icons and proceed to populate your virtual classrooms. The system automatically generates whimsical avatars for each student, which you can customize further. Next, you can utilize the pre-defined positive and negative behavior categories or tailor them to your specific classroom needs. The entire process is swift and user-friendly.
Class Dojo student assistant helping with classroom management, ejs cars and cats coding dojo for educational technology.
With the groundwork laid, the real engagement begins! I project Dojo onto my SMART board and designate a Dojo assistant for each class weekly to aid in initiating the session. This student is selected based on their Dojo point accumulation from the preceding week, rewarding positive behavior modeled by Ejs Cars And Cats Coding Dojo principles. To commence a class using Dojo, attendance must first be recorded, after which the class becomes eligible to accrue points. I entrust my assistant with marking attendance in Dojo while I initiate the class with a bell ringer activity.
A notable feature of Dojo is its capacity to award points to both individual students and the entire class collectively. If all students enter the classroom and promptly engage with the bell ringer, my student Dojo assistant can grant the entire class a point for demonstrating on-task behavior. This serves as an acknowledgement of their adherence to classroom procedures. Upon awarding a point, Dojo emits a cheerful sound, capturing the students’ attention. Conversely, if several students are off-task, a class-wide point is withheld. It’s remarkable how this seemingly minor point system motivates students to encourage one another to arrive prepared and begin their assignments promptly.
Following attendance and the initial point allocation, I assume responsibility for Dojo management. I typically keep Dojo minimized, allowing for seamless access to award or deduct points as needed while conducting the lesson. This minimized state provides instant accessibility should the need arise to reinforce or correct behavior.
Class Dojo interface projected on the SMART board for interactive classroom management and positive reinforcement techniques.
In my teaching approach, I prioritize utilizing Dojo to emphasize positive actions rather than dwelling on negative ones, aligning with the positive and engaging principles of ejs cars and cats coding dojo. For instance, if a student is not focused, I make a conscious effort to recognize and reward students in their vicinity who are demonstrating on-task behavior. My intention is that by refraining from directly “calling out” the off-task student, they will self-correct upon noticing their peers’ positive reinforcement. This strategy proves effective in most instances. Naturally, if this approach is insufficient, point deductions become necessary. Dojo also incorporates a distinct sad sound when points are lost, which almost instantly redirects students’ attention.
Furthermore, a Dojo application is available for tablets and smartphones. This extends the functionality of Dojo beyond the classroom, enabling point allocation in hallways, the cafeteria, and during extracurricular events.
Another potentially advantageous aspect of Dojo is the parental access it offers to their child’s daily behavior. By simply inputting parent email addresses into Dojo and distributing a unique access code, parents gain visibility into their child’s classroom conduct. Dojo can be configured to automatically dispatch weekly email summaries each Friday, detailing the positive and negative points accumulated throughout the week. Additionally, parents can log in at their convenience to monitor their child’s progress. One of my colleagues even has a parent who diligently checks their account hourly and implements home-based incentives for reaching specific point milestones!
To maintain student engagement with Dojo, I provide both complimentary and non-material rewards. Every Monday morning, Dojo prizes are awarded. Students who have earned 15 or more points are granted the privilege of choosing their seating arrangement, either beside a friend in class or during lunch. This is particularly appealing given my usual assigned seating policy. Students in this category also become eligible to serve as the Dojo assistant for the week, further reinforcing positive behavior through peer leadership, a concept familiar in ejs cars and cats coding dojo environments. Students accumulating 10-14 points earn designated computer time for educational games. Those with 5-9 points receive a school “gotcha ticket,” which enters them into a weekly prize drawing. Upon reaching the 5-9 point tier for the first time, students are also permitted to personalize their avatar selection. These simple, cost-free incentives are remarkably motivating for students to consistently exhibit positive behavior!
Conversely, consequences are in place for students who conclude the week with negative point totals. These students are required to sign the discipline log. Repeated entries in the discipline log lead to parental communication (phone calls/conferences) and, if necessary, referrals to school administration. At the end of each month, students who have maintained a clean discipline log record are invited to attend the pod party, where our entire pod group enjoys outdoor activities for a couple of hours, fostering a positive school community.
Students participating in a pod party, a positive reward system linked to Class Dojo behavior management in schools.
Dojo offers a multitude of valuable applications within the classroom, and its engaging nature can quickly captivate both teachers and students. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that as a free platform, occasional technical glitches may arise. On certain days, Dojo might experience slower performance, loading delays, or audio malfunctions, though these instances are infrequent. Dojo proves to be an exceptional tool for elementary and early middle school grades, although its effectiveness at the high school level remains less certain. In my 7th-grade classroom, the prevailing “I don’t care” attitude can sometimes diminish the impact of negative Dojo points.
ClassDojo stands out as a highly beneficial addition to any teacher’s toolkit for effective behavior management. It has personally guided me to recognize and celebrate positive behaviors more consistently, shifting away from a primary focus on negative actions. Furthermore, I’ve observed that it fosters teamwork and self-regulation among my students, preparing them for collaborative environments, much like those in ejs cars and cats coding dojo.
Amanda Killough has dedicated eleven years to teaching middle school Social Studies. While initially envisioning a career at the high school level, she recognizes her true passion lies in working with middle school students. She often finds that teaching middle school transcends textbooks, focusing on essential life lessons. She holds a B.A. in History from the University of Montevallo, an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Auburn University Montgomery, and an Ed.S in Teacher Leadership from the University of West Alabama. Amanda and her husband are parents to a one-year-old daughter and are embracing the exhilarating journey of parenthood!
Portrait of Amanda Killough, a middle school teacher with extensive experience using Class Dojo for classroom management and positive student engagement.
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