Your child’s homework is to read for 20 minutes each night and to finish work that was done in class.  If a student has completed all of their classwork, then their only homework is to read.  Sometimes, we write “please correct and return” on a paper that we want a child to correct a mistake so they can not only learn the concept of the work, but also learn precision and attention to detail.

“Do not cause a problem for me or anyone else.  If you cause a problem for me or someone else then I will do something.” – Love and Logic.  I believe in creating an environment where students feel accepted and safe with minimal distractions so learning can take place.  I try to motivate by rewarding positive behavior and letting students give themselves dojo points to recognize those little good deeds or following expectations.  The student who receives the highest number of points each day is eligible for a reward.  I also offer rewards for excellent work.  If students are causing problems for me or someone else I follow these general steps.  The steps I take depend on severity as well as if the behavior is repeated.

Class dojo is a website where each student has an avatar where they can earn or lose points individually or as a class.  Students are sometimes invited to give themselves or the class a point; however, if a point is lost I do the point reduction myself.  Parents that sign up for class dojo will receive notification of positive points only.  If there is a behavior concern I will let the parent know directly through a private dojo message, note home, or phone call. Here are the reasons why I like class dojo.

1. It motivates the kids by focusing on positive behavior.  They feel so proud to give themself a point and it provides meaningful behavioral feedback.  There are categories for why students earn points that the students create the beginning of the year e.g. following directions or using manners.  When a child gives themself a point, they need to select the category for why they earn a point so they are aware of which behaviors are desired.  If students know which specific behaviors are desired, they will replicate them in the future.

2. If I need to take away a point, it is done with minimal disruption – no tally check lists, no name on the board for all to see, no color chart for all to see – and it prevents students from losing play time.  Losing a point does not create any “real consequence” in real life, rather, it is a tool to get them to be self aware. They know that after a point is lost there will be a real life consequence if the behavior continues, so it gives them a chance to refocus and make better choices.

3. I enjoy the capability of dojo to message parents privately – it is an easy way to communicate privately with parents.

4. I enjoy the capability of dojo’s “Class Story” which is a forum where I can blast a message to all parents or share a photo or video of the class.

5. A feature I am getting used to is student story where I can privately post a picture of a student or student’s work just for the parent to see.  Going on student story will show the record of that child’s picture profile for that school year.

6. Big ideas – this feature has short series of videos on character building that the students love watching.  Each video accompanies discussion questions so the class can learn meaningfully from the video.  Some big ideas include mindfulness, empathy, and gratitude.

7. Toolkit – this is a handy feature for the teacher where I can randomly make groups of students, randomly select students, display a timer for how much time students have left to complete work, display a noise meter so students are aware of noise level, and more.

In the fall I do a caterpillar expedition on life cycles where we raise caterpillars and study their changes as scientists as they undergo metamorphosis.  We also learn how the environment affects these creatures and which plants best support butterfly habitats.  The spring expedition is TBA.