Clip Chart

There has been some concern about the negative points in Class Dojo. I would like to clear some of this up and share our new plan! If your child has some negative points and I haven't contacted you, there's nothing to worry about. I really think that my students needed a visual to keep track themselves, so we are now using a clip chart. In hindsight I should have started with this right away. This isn't going to solve the behaviors for all my students, but my conscientious ones will get it I think!

Here's what the clip chart looks like. Yikes, if I wasn't pregnant those cupboard doors would get a coat of paint! All students start on green everyday, just like in Class Dojo, they start at 0 if they had negative points the day before. If I give a point they go up the chart. All my class started on blue today for a great job listening in gym class. If they lose a point they go down. At afternoon recess if they are on yellow they lose 5 min., if they are on orange they lose 10 min., and red loses the whole recess with a phone call home at that time.

I hope this will help the students learn to regulate, for example, I'm on yellow... so I better do really well so I can clip up to green! We tried it for the first time today and I think it went much better overall. I still give the students several chances before I take a point away, but after 2 or 3 corrections I take the point. As they get used to the expectations I will simply have them move up or down depending with less reminders. I am really trying to be consistent with all my students. 

I also made this change because the Class Dojo points are not just based on behavior, so, someone with lots of points who has a bad day never ended up owing me a time out a recess. This didn't seem fair for the kiddos who are having trouble keeping points. Also physically moving a clip up and down makes them aware of how many points up or down they have gone.

With that being said, when you are looking at your Class Dojo report at home each day, look to see if your child went down, but also up. That's the self awareness I'm working on. Kids are always going to have a time when they have a little trouble focusing or just plain are off for the day, just like adults! :) What I like to see is that my students might have made a mistake, but made up for it by really working hard. Please keep in mind that your child has already had a consequence at school if they had poor behavior and while I think you should talk about what to do differently next time... I don't believe in being punished twice!

Phew...this got very wordy! Sorry about that! Tell your child to tell me hopscotch if you made it through all that and want to get them a free Dojo point! Thank you for all your support at home, it really shows your child that school is something to be valued.

P.S. I haven't done a lot of student photos yet, because I am still waiting for the white handbook sheet that gives permission for me to post photos. If you got one, please check yes in the boxes, sign the bottom, and send it back!