Do You Dojo?

Happy First Week of Summer, Peeps!

And...Happy 9 MONTHS to my incredibly healthy, precious baby boy, Jet!  How cute is he in our new Kinder Peeps t-shirts?  Thanks to my lifelong friends who own All Out Graphics in Bryan, Texas for our new, super cute t-shirts!  I can't wait to wear mine at the conference!

I am getting really excited about presenting Do You Dojo at TCEA's Tots and Technology Conference in Galveston next week on June 16th!  If you're attending, please let me know!  I would love to meet you!  Like Kinder Peeps on Facebook to join the conversation!

As you know, I am extremely passionate about classroom management and positive reinforcement in the primary classroom.  In order for our students to thrive and really blossom, we must foster a safe, collaborative learning community that consistently directs attention to positive behaviors.  I have found Class Dojo to be so effective in increasing positive behaviors in so many different learning environments.

So...Do I Dojo?  YES!  And here's what I LOVE, how I use it:

Why do I like Class Dojo so much?  It is POSITIVE and SPECIFIC!  I can award points to students for exhibiting desired behaviors. Moreover, I can customize the categories/expectations/class "rules" to meet the needs of my students. If there is a particular expectation I want my students to focus on (ex: raising a "quiet hand"), I can add that to the expectations and award points for students who are raising a "quiet hand."  Along these lines, I am also going to use iMovie on my iPad to record students exhibiting these behaviors on the first day of kindergarten!  We are going to read No, David! and record the opposite of what they should be doing...and then we will record them exhibiting the positive expectations below.  I think the kids are going to love the role playing (and seeing themselves on the SMART Board when we play the videos)!  I think this will really increase their engagement!

Another reason I Dojo?  It is SEAMLESS!  What do I mean by "seamless?"  I can award points for students who are using "helping hands" or kind gestures on the playground at recess with my smart phone or tablet...and, the same goes for transitions to/from lunch and specials.  Because it is web-based, it knows NO boundaries.

Oh...and another reason?  It automatically logs data!  This is useful for parent conferences, report cards, analyzing different times of the day, and informing change, etc.  Once you sign up, Class Dojo gives you the option for automated e-mails to parents informing them of their child's progress, etc.

In the past, I have only used Class Dojo to reinforce individual student behaviors; however, I think I am going to switch things up this year and try using it to reinforce positive behaviors in my literacy station groups while I am reading with my guided reading groups as well (I think my guided reading groups will really benefit from this; this will minimize distractions and I can look up and award points to groups on my tablet from my guided reading table).  I like to have 10 station groups if I can (I like my partner groups to be smaller in literacy work stations so I can really customize what they are learning in each station), and I will have each group create an avatar and team name for their group.  In the examples below, you will see avatars that groups have named and also color groups (I am going to try to jazz it up this year and get away from the color groupings, haha)!

So...what incentives do I use with Class Dojo?  I decided to create these for my groups this year.  Also included is an editable version so you can customize the incentives and the amount of points you are awarding accordingly. I will be changing these pretty frequently to keep things fresh and fun.  I didn't customize them in increments of 5 points because I think increments of 10 points = a bit more challenging.  I also think the key to these incentives is keeping them "alive" and referring to them throughout the day!  I am going to enlarge these at an office supply store and have them displayed around the SMART Board and around the center of instruction.  Be sure to check them out!  I think you will really like these.

Products/resources:  I created parent letters introducing Class Dojo to my students' parents...and, included an editable version.  There are 3 letters total in this download.  This is one thing that my students and their parents will definitely see at our Meet the Teacher night!  After I print this letter to place at each student's desk on Meet the Teacher night, I will print the Class Dojo parent codes for each child and attached them to the letter; once they get home, parents can enter their e-mail addresses and sign up (this way, they can receive their child's progress in their inbox)...and just like that, we're ready to go on the first day of school!

I would love to hear more about how YOU Dojo!  Like Kinder Peeps on Facebook!

Hope to see you in Galveston!

The Power of Positive Reinforcement

"The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice." - Peggy O'Mara

I absolutely love this quote!  During my first semester of graduate school, I read Choice Words by Peter Johnston and remember asking my student teachers to go out and get it right away! If you haven't read it, I encourage you to do so! This book is quite simple, actually...but really helps you reflect on the effects your words have on your children.  I have also encouraged my students' parents to buy it...a must read for sure!  So...I can't decide which I'm more passionate about: positive reinforcement or instructional technology?!  They both enhance the teaching and learning experience on so many levels...

Each year, I have tried new strategies I've seen here and there (I will admit, many from Pinterest, ha ha!), but I will have to say I have always used what I call the "SUPER System!"  Each day, students' clips start out on GOOD...and when I see students exhibiting "What SUPER looks like," I ask them to move their clip up to SUPER!  My kinders are very, very concerned about "getting to SUPER" throughout the day.  I take pictures of them sitting criss cross, raising a quiet hand, using walking feet, etc., photoshop the pictures by "cutting them out," and label each one with a simple phrase (ex: Walking Feet).  We review these over and over (esp. throughout the first few weeks).  If you are looking for a new "system," I suggest taking pictures of your students exhibiting these behaviors (makes this more meaningful to them - they like to see themselves represented!), embedding them in a PowerPoint, SMART Notebook, or Activ Flip chart, and reviewing it each day.  I like the phrases corresponding with each visual to be short and sweet (literally)!

You can download the behavior plan I give each child's parents at the beginning of the year as well as each "level" (shown above) from my TPT store by clicking my TPT button.  I printed them on colored card stock and took them to Office Depot to get them laminated (their lamination is the real deal and really lasts)!

I have also seen the "BINGO" board floating around on Pinterest and decided to try it out this year...and, this is by far the most popular incentive in my classroom!  I laminated it and have students go up and write their name on it when they are doing a SUPER job in work stations, guided reading, and the list goes on!  At the end of the day, I magically select a square and that student gets treasure box or lunch with Mrs. Reinhardt the following day!  I think the key to this incentive (and really any incentive) is referring to it frequently throughout the day to "keep it alive!"

My kinders also really like earning "Table Points" throughout the day...during my first year, I had bowls on each table and I would walk around and award beads for specific, positive behavior(s); however, after about ten"spills" I decided to change things up a bit - ha!  Again, when I "catch" a student or table group using their good reader/writer strategies, kind words, etc...they get to go up to the board and record tally marks next to their table color.  We count the table points each Friday and the table who wins gets to select/view a web cam of their choice (they love the animal cams on the San Diego Zoo website), treasure box, or lunch with Mrs. Reinhardt the following week!  Below, you will see one of my kinders recording tallies for her table (I think it is important to have them record the tallies - gives them ownership):

Alright, Peeps!  I want to hear all about what you're doing in your room!  I know you have some great strategies!  I think I better get to bed before I fall asleep on my computer...