We couldn’t be more excited to announce the newest additions to our ClassDojo Community team, Magdalene Mattson and Brett Salakas!

ClassDojo just won a huge award: Best Education Startup (read more about it here) – you can watch it below!

This is a really exciting moment for our team and community of teachers, parents, and students. It recognizes not just the product, but the movement towards empowering teachers in their classrooms, and giving them simple tools and resources to help them do what they do best: teach our next generation.

And that’s how we see ClassDojo. Not purely as a product, but a community of teachers who believe in positive encouragement and stronger relationships.

So we want to dedicate this Crunchie to our ClassDojo Mentors! You’ve been with us for a long time, and we see you as the backbone of our company! We always reach out to you when we have questions, want to test an idea, and we always think of our Mentors first when building new features. If it’s not something a Mentor would love, it’s not worth doing.

Thank you to our amazing ClassDojo Mentor Community for your unconditional support and encouragement, and for sharing your #ClassDojoLove with others around you. You inspire us and motivate us every day.

This Crunchie is dedicated to you !🙂

– Sam, Liam, and the ClassDojo team

Most parents will tell you that homework time is the most dreaded part of each day, and I think many students would agree. Although, there always seems to be one or two families who request more homework for their child. So how much homework is the right amount? The answer is not simple, and differs depending on what age range you are working with, but there is some pretty compelling research out there showing that homework may be a lot less necessary than we once thought.

I was at a frozen yogurt bar the other day, empty cup in hand, and I happened to see the sign “Teacher Appreciation Day: Free Yogurts of Any Size with ID Card.” Score! A free yogurt meant that I had nothing to lose if I didn’t order the usual. The possibilities swarmed me. I now had the opportunity to choose something I might not have otherwise bought. Which way was I going to go? Fruity? Chocolaty? No. BOTH. This was my chance–my opportunity to build something great. Unfortunately, with a line building up behind me, I rushed. I overdid it on the toppings, my layering was all wrong, and it wasn’t tasty. My expectations of a totally delicious fro-yo were soured by my lack of planning, the feeling of being rushed, and a little greed to want it all.

Sometimes, students will resist because something is immoral or unethical. As a first year teacher, a student called me out for mocking a regional accent. I was defensive at first, but she was absolutely right.

But sometimes, students resist because that’s what they do.

In some cases (like class policies), as long as the policies are thoughtful, your best bet is to listen and then use some sort of formula like, “Unfortunately, a hall pass is not a choice. Please use it.”

In other cases, however, student resistance can undermine a learning goal: suddenly, you’re locked in a battle with a student about a concept that is not the point of a lesson.

A few weeks ago someone came up to me and told me how he just accepted his first speaking gig. He was a bit overwhelmed by it all, and knowing I do a lot of presenting, asked me for a few tips. I gave him a few and have since been thinking about things I’ve learned in my first couple years of presenting at conferences.

Recently I had the pleasure of taking part in a I&RS (Intervention and Referral Services) meeting for a struggling student. Basically a team of teachers, parents, administrators, guidance counselors, child study team members, and others convened to problem solve student deficiencies. Many ideas were shared and an action plan was developed. The passion in the room was truly remarkable, especially the professional manner in which our staff conducted themselves. Each member of the committee took the “whatever it takes” approach in order to put this child in a position to succeed. In fact, throughout the school year other technology based strategies were utilized for other students as well.

Below you will find a sampling of strategies that were recommended for various students throughout the school year in order for them to be in a position to succeed with the help of technology…..

I substituted for a year after I graduated from my teaching program, and it was the hardest thing I ever did. I was working in a district with 28 schools (my home district has 6) sprawled throughout eight cities. Everything was unpredictable. Most of the time, I had no idea where the school was, unless I had been there enough times to remember the side gate into the parking lot where I was not allowed to park. Sometimes, I got called to sub for the morning, then requested for an afternoon job at a school an hour away that started 45 minutes after the morning class ended, leaving me negative 15 minutes for lunch.

Superman can leap tall buildings in a single bound. He is faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive. Dressed in his blue suit and hands akimbo, he is the proverbial super hero. He has saved the world from ultimate destruction a time or two. There is no doubt that we know that red caped man well.

Superman is cool. I don’t doubt it! He has some pretty amazing powers, but so does a teacher. Have we ever took a closer look at some on the more unique powers of an everyday superhero? Let’s just examine a few powers that will leave you in awe.

Multitask Speed Eating

I don’t know any other profession who can make 75 copies, grade tests, and eat a sandwich simultaneously. I’m just naming a few. Ask any teacher. There is way more going on in that span of 30 minutes. Performing such skill requires daily conditioning and years to perfect. It requires a strong mind to hold a running list, amazing arm strength to carry tons of items in a single bound, and the speed of a cheetah to get it all done with limited time. To see such a feat being accomplished is truly a sight to behold.

Bladder Management

It’s going on hour three and the teacher has yet to use the bathroom. How does a person do that? It’s called training. Some of the best bladder managers have the ability to train the bladder to wait for unplanned breaks in the day. There are even some who don’t even realize he or she hasn’t used the bathroom ALL day! It’s not until the end of a very busy day that the bladder screams, “Hey, a little relief would be nice!”

Then there’s the speed factor. An educator has the ability to use the bathroom in under 30 seconds. Yes, that does include locking the door, clothing adjustments, and hand washing. The most skilled managers plan wardrobes around the speed factor. Wardrobe malfunctions cause delays. One has to be fast, so one can get back to class.

Eyes Everywhere/Hyper Hearing

Yep, she heard you say that ugly word even though everyone was talking. She also saw you throw your pencil across the room. But her back was turned? It’s the most powerful skill a teacher will use. Because one of the many responsibilities is to keep her students safe, it is a necessary power to see all and hear all. After it’s developed, a teacher can redirect an off-task student from ten feet away. A teacher can correct a mispronounced word for a student on the opposite end of the room as well as listen to the student who is reading right in front of her. The power can be used anywhere at anytime and can be a life saver. So when they say “she has eyes in the back of her head”, she just might. You never know!

Of course, there are so many more talents and powers an educator has that can define him or her as a superhero. It’s not your ordinary super powers. They may be a little quirky and unique, but you have to admit that some of these powers take great skill. The teacher may not wear a cape, but he or she can do some pretty amazing things. Just stand back and watch in wonder.

Adolescence is an exciting time, neurologically speaking. Young people go from only being able to think concretely to being able to think in the abstract. This happens around the age of 12. The adolescent brain also develops forward-thinking skills and this process is not complete until the mid-twenties.

Here are five ways to help support this development in your classroom: