Classroom Behavior Management System: The Ultimate DOJO System

Let's talk classroom management systems. Do you use a clipchart? Tallies? Whole Brain Teaching? Tickets? All of these systems can work wonders in your classroom. However, if you haven't quite found your jam yet, maybe you will consider what I call "The Ultimate DOJO System."

I really like Class DOJO because it takes the nitty-gritty detail work out of my hands. If your school is anything like mine, they want data, data, data on students. They want to know what the behavior is, when it's happening, and how it was provoked. DOJO can do all of these things for you.  It also allows parents to be actively involved in the life of the student, as they can check in on the student's points, message me, and even receive photos of their students throughout the week. If you aren't familiar with Class Dojo check it out here. It's free and fabulous.

Ok, so here is how "The Ultimate DOJO System" works. Students can earn postive points and negative points which can be displayed on your interactive whiteboard.

Students track their positive points and negative points each day and have their parents sign off on it each night. The parents that have signed up under the parent account using the child's special code will have access to this information by using the app or website. I promise- it's quite simple to get them signed up. The weekly tracking sheet is something that I use with my students whose parents DO NOT use the parent portal online.

Now on to the super fun stuff: Pay Day and DOJO Store time.

First of all, please understand there is some prep that goes into this ahead of time, but like anything, if you put in the prep now, it should make for a successful rest of the year later. Every Friday, I go to my teacher account on DOJO and look at the reports.

 

Click on View Reports, just below the settings down tab. This will allow you to take a look at the class as a whole, but also each individual student's points for the week.  Click on the student and this screen will show up: 

This student had 3 positive DOJO points, and 1 negative. So, when it comes to Pay Day, this child will receive 2 dollars because for each negative DOJO point, a positive point is cancelled out. Then, however many DOJO points are left is the amount of dollars the student receives. Every other Friday is our DOJO store, but every week students get paid. So, if this week is not a DOJO store week, students will simply get paid and put their money in their paper wallets like in the picture below. 

Later in the year, students can be "fined" as a warning (right in the middle of a lesson!), rather than getting a negative DOJO. But, in September, my friends aren't quite ready for that.

Are you ready for the magical moment called The DOJO Store?  See, students can spend their DOJO money every other Friday, or they can choose to save it. I love the connection we make with wants, needs, saving, and spending.

As I said earlier, this definitely takes some prep time and money, but it gets easier, I promise. You start having extras in your birthday goodie bags, or the office is giving away free erasers, or Walmart has summer bubbles for $.20 a bottle. So begins the accumulation of DOJO Store STUFF (< that isn't the word my husband prefers to call it). The best part- you get to set the price point. If you are a frequent DOJO point giver, you can set the prices high, since your students will more than likely have lots of money. If you don't give points for doing things that are expected (say: raising hand to speak) then you may not give out as many points, and your students total positive points won't be as high. So, it's important to think about these things prior to setting up your store, and definitely before pricing the items.

I used to be majorly against this JUNK that allowed my students to be extrinsically motivated, and demanded my students were intrinsically motivated. But then I began thinking- I AM EXTRINSICALLY MOTIVATED. I go to work to get paid, so I can buy things I want and need. This is real life. Does this make me a horrible person? I don't think so- it just makes me human. So, I have begun embracing this "Ultimate DOJO System." There are so many lessons the students learn about saving their money while others learn the consequences of spending their money just because they have it.

I think about one of my students who has had her eye on the red pom-poms since the first week of school. She refuses to buy anything else at the store every other week because she knows one day (very soon) she will have enough DOJO money to purchase the pom-poms. She also understands that she needs to keep her eye on them, because someone else may want them too. How's that for a real-life lesson?

Do you want to know what else is fabulous? The clean up. Each price gets its own grocery plastic bag (including the price tag that goes with those items). 

Then, ALL the bags go into a plastic Sterilite bin. I know not to go shopping if this bin is full, because I don't have space for overflow.

Oh, and all those extra bins you have laying around? You'll use them when your DOJO store is open!

I know it seems like a lot, and it is. If you are ready to make the change to The Ultimate DOJO System, best of luck to you and take it slow. If a different system works for you- YAY! Best of luck, friends!