At Alexander First School we use ClassDojo, a classroom management system that has consistently supported both learning and behaviour in classrooms. It's very easy to set up whether you're using an Apple or Android device -- there's an app available for both. With this tool, our staff are able to accomplish the following goals:

1. Keeping in touch

Many of our parents/carers work away, often overseas. Keeping in touch with your child, their progress and school achievements is essential during periods apart. Classdojo enables parents and carers to see their child's classwork, exchange message with school staff (teachers, teaching assistants etc) and receive picture updates.

2. Send activities home

Work, activities and tasks are all assigned via Classdojo. Instead of using worksheets which can get lost or damaged, teachers assigned activities (such as home learning or project tasks) via Classdojo. Students are able to complete task directly on Dojo and are prompted to share their thinking and understanding.

Our parents/carers have been able to help their child complete their home learning in Windsor whilst they have been as far away as Afghanistan and the Falklands!   

3. Supporting Behaviour

Each class has avatars assigned for each student. Teachers and school staff have the ability to award points, affectionately known as "dojos" in classes, for positive behaviour. We focus on the positive aspects of behaviour because we believe positivity motivates students and has a greater impact on their behaviour.  Positive behaviours are based on our school rules ‘Be ready, Be respectful, Be safe’. ClassDojo can be used with our interactive whiteboard, laptops, desktops or smart phones. Students get immediate feedback to on their behaviour by the distinctive sound made when their avatar is clicked. 

4. Sharing Data

ClassDojo automatically keeps track of the behaviour in our classrooms by tracking the behaviours that were clicked. From this we can create reports that are emailed to you, the parent/carer. Parents can connect through printed or emailed invites. The information is provided in a donut that shows the percentage of clicked behaviours and underneath a written version of the data for each day. This data can all be accumulated into end-of-year reports.

Additionally, at Alexander First School we use ClassDojo to look for trends in student behaviour. This is a great way to reflect on what is working well in our classrooms and across our school. For example, we may notice that on Monday afternoons fewer points are given. We can then use this data to reflect on why this is and what the difficulty may be.

Students also have access to their data and can customise their avatars, which they love...as well as keep track of their Dojo points even when they’re not in school! This gives them a greater involvement and leadership in their behaviour management.