Do you DOJO?

Several years ago I stumbled across  a blog post about Class Dojo. I was intrigued so I did my research and three years ago I introduced it in my 5th grade classroom. It was a hit! My students loved the little avatars, and they really loved earning points. They were like Pavlovian dogs, reacting to the "ding" of positive points being awards. They would quickly glance around the room to see what their classmates were doing so they could replicate the behavior in hopes of earning points. 

My students loved the instant feedback on their behavior and I found it was much more effective than the classroom management tools, like the cards or clip chart, that I had used in the past. We had competitions between boys and girls, contests for highest point scorers, and rewards that were earned and seemed to mean more to the students than the treasure box I had used in the past. 

I even used it to motivate students during particularly tough stretches throughout the year (weeks before Christmas/Spring Break and after testing). I also like that i could track behavior and use that data for parent conferences, A-Team meetings and during IEP meetings. 

Each year I use it a little differently, and last year, I would have to say was my best year yet. Class Dojo added a messenger option an I have about 1/3 of my parents sign up. It is a great tool for communicating with parents. I could even share photos from field trips, send out class-wide broadcasts (such as reminders for field trips/upcoming tests, etc)  and see when my parents had read a message I had sent. My students also know that their parents could see how they were doing each day and overall, it even helped with non-behavior things like turning in homework, etc. 

I had one parent that would communicate with me daily and only  through the Dojo Messenger App. Whether it was to ask a question about homework, or to let me know why her son was absent that day, she used it as it was designed, to be a great communication tool between home and school. 

Another benefit from using Class Dojo is  connecting with other teachers around the world that are also using it, and sharing ideas. I am a part of the Class Dojo Mentor community and have met hundreds of teachers around the world. We have a Facebook group and other users are constantly sharing ideas, asking questions and encouraging each other. The developers of Class Dojo also send us updates on new features, and we are often the first to test it out and provide them with feedback. 

I am hooked on Class Dojo and I can't imagine using anythings else. If you are interested in finding out more about how I use it, or taking a look at some of the resources I have found to use with it, feel free to comment below or sen me an email at talesfromteacher@gmail.com. I would be happy to share my experiences with it.