How to Use Class Dojo for Classroom Management

The clip chart used to be my go-to system for behavior management. When a student broke a rule, I had to interrupt my instruction, have him or her move the clip down a color, and get everybody back to work. The whole class watched as that student made the walk of shame across the room, and it kept the whole class from focusing on their work. Then, I found Class Dojo, and it transformed my classroom management system.

Class Dojo for Behavior Management

I first found out about Class Dojo from another teacher at my school. She started using it and absolutely loved the positive feedback it provided to students. I decided to try it, and I haven’t looked back since.

Here are some of the things I love about using Class Dojo for behavior management:

• I can add and remove points without disturbing the whole class. If a student earns or loses a point, I can just quietly tell him or her why the point was added or removed.
• I can control behavior with one sound. When I’m meeting with a small group, I turn the volume on my computer up. That way, when I add or subtract points, the class hears a sound and knows I’m watching. One point added or removed gets the class back on task. In the beginning of the year, the kids stop and look for the sound, but they quickly realize they can’t see who earned or lost a point.
• I can choose the behaviors students have to display to earn and lose points. This year, my school is using 4 rules – be kind, be responsible, be respectful, and be ready to learn. My students earn points when they are displaying those behaviors.

More Things I Love

• You can create groups in Class Dojo. If your students sit in table groups or are doing a project as a group, you add or remove points for the whole group by clicking one button.
• You can control the points from your desktop, laptop, or the app on your phone. No matter where you are, you can add and remove points.
• You can share your class with other teachers in your building. I shared my class with the gym teacher, and he is able to use Class Dojo as his behavior management system while my students are with him.
• Parents can join your class and receive a message when their children earn or lose points. This is great for parent communication. It also saves me a ton of time. I used to have the students color a square in their assignment books to show what color they were on for the day. Then, I would check and sign them each one of them. Now, parents automatically know what kind of day their child had.

Added Benefits of Class Dojo

• Class Story – Share photos and messages with your students’ families using Class Story. Some teachers have a class Facebook page. Everything you do on a Facebook page, you can do through Class Story. Only your students’ parents will be able to see your posts.
• Messaging with Parents – You can also communicate with individual parents through Class Dojo. They can send you messages, and you can reply directly on Class Dojo.
• Reports – You can look back at how many positive and negative points your students have earned for any period of time. This is perfect for report cards and parent-teacher conferences.

• Timer – Class Dojo has a built-in timer. I use it at the end of the day. Students have 3 minutes to write their homework and pack in silence. If they beat the timer, they earn a point.
• Toolkit – This is a new feature of Class Dojo this year. It’s only available on the app, and I haven’t tried it yet. However, I’m very excited to experiment with the noise meter and grouping features.
• Big Ideas – Class Dojo has little videos that teach about growth mindset, perseverance, empathy, gratitude, and mindfulness. My students love them, and they all have a great message!

What Happens with the Points?

Every teacher uses the points on Class Dojo differently. Some clear the points daily. Others clear them each week. In some classrooms, the students get play dollars for the points.

In my classroom, I allow the points to accumulate for the whole school year. The students can spend the points whenever they want. I have a list of items they can buy any morning when they arrive at school. From pencils to a bring a stuffed animal to school pass, the students love buying things with their Class Dojo points.

Download the list of items my students can buy at the bottom of this post. The document is editable, so you can decide what you want to offer your students.

When students spend their points, they receive a ticket for the item they bought. They can choose to use it immediately or save it for later.

Download these tickets for free in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store!

At the end of the year, I have a store where students can spend the rest of their points.

Go to the Class Dojo website, and get started now!

Get some other tips for managing a chatty class.

Find out how I use digital badging to keep track of my students’ academic and behavior goals.

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What Do You Think?

What do you use for classroom management?

Let me know in the comments below.

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