How do I manage points within my classroom?
In my classroom students can earn points for using teamwork, participating, being prepared, being at school on time, being on task, working hard, helping others, performing a classroom job, and attending an after school event. They can lose a point if they are off task, not properly using materials, talking out of turn, unprepared, not bringing back their homework, and being disrespectful. Honestly, I hardly take away points from students. I feel as though this is a program that really should emphasize the positives. With that being said, there are occasions when it is completely effective to take away a point or two from students.
What do I do with the points?
One of my classroom jobs is "Dojo Banker." The Dojo Bankers give students "Dojo Dollars" each Friday that are equivalent to their Dojo points. I researched many different ideas before coming to this conclusion. It in the end seemed like the easiest way to trade points for some sort of tangible reward. Every other Friday students can use their Dojo Dollars in the classroom store. Students may use their dollars to buy the prizes listed below.
What if students misplace their Dojo Dollars?
Students have been forewarned that losing their Dojo Dollars is just like losing real money. Most students take home their Dojo Dollars each day and bring them back just on days that they know that the store will be open. So far, so good!
Parent Involvement
Class Dojo has an amazing built in parent component. Parents (and even students) can join my classroom. Within my class, parents can view in real-time how their child is doing each day. It breaks down how each child is doing and the percentage of points each child has based on the point categories. I introduced this program 5 days ago and have had 8 out of 23 parents register and create an account on Class Dojo. I hope that this number keeps growing.
Have you tried anything new with Class Dojo or implemented it in another way that worked within your classroom?
