For most educators, ClassDojo is not a new tool to incorporate into the classroom. Maybe you relied on ClassDojo to help shape student behavior during the return to the classroom, or maybe you have turned to this trusty tool to support you as you take on a new grade or school. Either way, many of us have opened up our classroom doors to the adorable avatars that are at the heart of the ClassDojo app. How do you turn this point-rewarding app into an actual behavior-shaping tool? Read on for some suggestions for customizing within ClassDojo to maximize positive behavior year round!

Hack #1: Change your point values often

You most likely know that within ClassDojo, you have the opportunity to adjust the point values associated with different behaviors, but did you ever consider adjusting the point weight for different behaviors throughout the year? The reality is, you should be adjusting the point values routinely, depending on how important molding that behavior is. Just because you started off the year giving a behavior such as “lining up silently” 5 points, does not mean this behavior needs to remain a 5-point behavior for the full school year. If all of your students are able to line up quietly and it is no longer a behavior that needs shaping, reduce the point value!

Hack #2: Consider a supplementary reward chart

There is nothing like building a classroom community than by having students pool their ClassDojo points to “cash in” for a whole-class experience like a movie or pizza party.  If you do your research, you will likely find that most reliable behavior modification systems have some sort of tangible reward for students. You cannot rely on the digital point system alone to help you with your challenging group, or that group of thirty 5-year-olds!

If you scour the internet, either through a simple Google search or on a website like Teachers Pay Teachers, you will find tons of examples of these class reward charts. I have also included a few examples below, created using the classroom templates on Canva. While starting with a template is great, you definitely want to customize this supplementary reward chart to fit the likes and interests of your students. There is no sense having a pizza party listed on your cash-out chart if none of the students in your class like pizza! To help you select the best rewards, consider using polling software or designing a Google Form to help you collect information from your students that will help you determine what they want. You can also find out this information simply by having a conversation with your students and giving them the opportunity to share their favorites.

Hack #3: Customize avatars beyond monsters and critters

ClassDojo has a collection of default monsters and critters, but did you know that you can use Google to upload avatars as well? It is as simple as searching “[name of character] [file type]”. For example: “Pikachu png” or “Minion png”. We recommend using .png files because the images have white backgrounds, which will make it that much easier (and clearer) to resize and upload to Dojo.

Once you have chosen the characters that you want to create the new set of avatars with, it’s time to add it to your Dojo. To do so, head into your Dojo teacher account and select a class from “My Classes.” From there, you will be able to edit the settings for that class using the “Options” drop down menu on that Classroom page.

Once in the class editing mode, you should then select any connected student, click on their current avatar to open the full set of avatars available for selection. At the bottom of the drop down menu list, there will be an option that reads “Create New Set.”

Then, add the new character to create a new avatar set and give the monster set a name. You can add the avatar to any student profile. Students will still have the option to customize the same way they would with other monster sets, including making adjustments to body, color, eyes, mouth, etc.  

For more information about customizing monsters, I definitely recommend checking out Dojo’s resource on their Helpdesk for a step-by-step tutorial.

Hack #4: Set boundaries and restrictions for avatar changes

If you are going to allow students to customize their characters, I encourage you to set boundaries for when students will have the opportunity to swap out their avatar. If you don’t, you will be asked 100 times a day to switch out an avatar! A boundary can be as simple as telling students that they can only swap their avatar when they get to the hundred marks. This will not only encourage students to continue earning points for good behavior, but will also inspire students to continue pushing themselves.

Hack #5: Display potential points to encourage behavior

There is a lot of power in shaping behavior using potential points through the “check” on ClassDojo. You can use the potential point system to encourage desired student behaviors by displaying all the students in your class and then converting the blurred checkmark to an illuminated checkmark to give the actual point for those students who complete the task. For example, you might want to teach your class to quickly clean up after themselves. You could ask that students try to clean up their desk area in 5 minutes or less and check off as students complete the task. This could encourage students who are not moving as quickly as you would like to speed up when they begin to see their classmates earning!

To learn more about classroom management, ClassDojo, Canva and more, check out our courses on our online professional development platform OTIS for educators such as the Introduction to Canva and Getting Started with ClassDojo courses.

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more content on the Teq Talk blog or our YouTube channels OTIS for educators and Tequipment.

We also offer virtual professional development, training, and support with OTIS for educators. Explore the technology and strategies that spark student success — no matter where teaching or learning are happening!

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