So this year I am all about trying new things. After 10 years of teaching there are still things I want to do better.
Parent communication is #1 on that list!
I recently discovered Class Dojo (www.classdojo.com) and started using it to not only track and reward behavior in the classroom but also to share that information with parents.
With CD each student gets an adorable monster avatar. Your class list looks like this:
The teacher rewards points for certain behaviors. Then the parents can log on to see how their children are doing. There are great reports that show daily, weekly, and even monthly progress!
Teachers can also use CD to message with parents. It allows teachers to send messages, pictures, etc to the whole class without creating the long email chain (and the accidental REPLY ALLs!!). The best part is you can also send individual messages to parents quickly and easily.
So far my parents are giving me really positive feedback. I love that I can download the IPad and IPhone apps and send and respond to parent messages whenever I happen to be. Parents can use the apps too!
Overall, I am really happy with it. Check it out here:
Give it a try in your classroom!
