I’ve had enough of the class dojo

[Myleftfoot39]

Every week one or two children win the dojo and get a prize. Some children have won it twice or three times. Today a child who defaced another child’s clothing (had written all over it in class) won it (they are in Year 2).

My ds is quiet, well behaved and works really hard. Does all his homework, is reading and writing and working hard. It’s awful but today he came out of school crying his eyes out because he thought he might win the dojo.

Even at bedtime he was upset about it.He doesn’t understand why the naughty kids get rewards but he feels ‘invisible’. He said there’s something wrong with him and is very upset.

I have reassured him and told him the dojo doesn’t matter but it really does matter to him. The teacher makes a big deal out of giving the dojo out as theres a photo of the child on the dojo for all to see.

I’m really fed up of it!!

"Some children not even winning one prize in an academic year is a different issue to children with SEN needing more rewards for self esteem."

I agree and I doubt any teacher intentionally does this. Despite what many think, we don't set out to upset kids and their parents. It might be that, with half a term to go, op's son will receive his award soon, or teacher has made a mistake and thinks he's had it so worth mentioning.

But I'll just say again that every single parent who has ever complained to me about this was wrong and embarrassed when I could prove that they were wrong so worth making absolutely sure that you've got your facts straight first.

I've been able to show that their child actually had won (I keep copies now!) or that about ten children hadn't won yet or that the kid who 'always wins' had only won once.

I find this the same as Star of The Day - there's really no way of doing it without some finding it demoralising. I think my kids only ever got it once (they're nice, polite, clever kids, who worked hard) and yet the 'favourites' and 'tearaways' seemed to get it again and again. I had to tell mine that it meant nothing - and literally celebrate every little thing that they do well and keep telling them to work hard and behave themselves and, in the long run, all the hard work and niceness will pay off. (Fingers firmly crossed).

It’s pretty unanimous that YANBU and how unpopular this system of rewarding bullies is! And that doesn’t include SEN. I know the boy who bullied my son was definitely not SEN but was rewarded with a role in school that was only one down from head boy despite still misbehaving in class!

@Birminghambloke having read the thread, you’d understand why! I’m also a teacher and in this case I definitely would go straight to the HT on this matter and not the teacher!

@sjonlegs there are plenty of ways to do it! I do a raffle! That’s not demoralising! Tickets for good behaviour, one winner at the end of the day!

Lots of posts from people saying that the naughty SEN kids get too many points. This view is abhorrent to me btw, since those kids have got a mountain to climb to get onto an even footing with all of your lovely, NT, well-behaved, supported and loved children.

One of my issues with these systems is that they actually act as a barrier to inclusion. It is not helpful to a child struggling with behaviour to have their peers resent them because 'naughty kids get all the points'.

The fact is, people (parents and children) do respond like this and it's no good for anyone. It's demotivating for kids who never win, it 'others' the kids who are supposed to be helped by it and can make it harder for them to integrate into their peer group. It's just unnecessarily divisive.

There are much better ways to manage behaviour than buying in a system and having a weekly 'winner'.

@fourminutestosavetheworld

"Some children not even winning one prize in an academic year is a different issue to children with SEN needing more rewards for self esteem."

I agree and I doubt any teacher intentionally does this. Despite what many think, we don't set out to upset kids and their parents. It might be that, with half a term to go, op's son will receive his award soon, or teacher has made a mistake and thinks he's had it so worth mentioning.

But I'll just say again that every single parent who has ever complained to me about this was wrong and embarrassed when I could prove that they were wrong so worth making absolutely sure that you've got your facts straight first.

I've been able to show that their child actually had won (I keep copies now!) or that about ten children hadn't won yet or that the kid who 'always wins' had only won once.

Surely though, the fact that there is a perception off unfairness that kids get upset about and parents complain about is a problem in itself. It just creates unnecessary tension and pointless work in needing to 'prove' parents are wrong or whatever.

Whether they're wrong or right, the scarcity of the prizes contributes to weird tally keeping and other unhelpful behaviours. When you'd be better off with a system that discourages this crap and motivates children to behave well.

"Whether they're wrong or right, the scarcity of the prizes contributes to weird tally keeping and other unhelpful behaviours. When you'd be better off with a system that discourages this crap and motivates children to behave well."

You're right. But I also do a raffle for completion of homework. Everyone who does the homework puts their name into a hat and I pick one winner. But I still get parents telling me that their child has never won, upset children, a general feeling of unease that I'm rewarding kids with supportive parents who remind about homework (I offer a homework club to combat this but still).

I think it's normal for little kids to cry 'not fair' and normal for a certain type of parent to attach too much credence to their cries of 'not fair.' Maybe just scrap all rewards, it's the way I'm leaning after this thread but the kids do bloody love them.

" I know the boy who bullied my son was definitely not SEN but was rewarded with a role in school that was only one down from head boy despite still misbehaving in class!"

No you don't. You can't possibly know that unless you've seen their SEN register. 30% of my class is SEN, not including specific needs such as dyslexia, and you'd maybe guess 2-3 of them from general observation.

[quote Supergirl1958]@sjonlegs there are plenty of ways to do it! I do a raffle! That’s not demoralising! Tickets for good behaviour, one winner at the end of the day![/quote]
You give out tickets for good behaviour? That seems rather subjective. Do you hold the SEN children to the same standard as everyone else? If you put everyone into the raffle, what's the point of it? If you exclude people, do their parents privately seethe about favouritism? Are certain children excluded more than others?

I'm afraid it's the way it is. If a child just keeps their nose down, gets on with the work, causes no problems, or isn't a huge character, they will get overlooked.
The children who are usually problematic, can have a good day and will (quite rightly) get rewarded for a good day. But the child who has a good day everyday, but hasn't caught the attention of the teacher (good or bad) will not get noticed.

@fourminutestosavetheworld I treat every child in my class the same! Being SEN is not the same as displaying bad behaviour!! If I was the parent of a child who required SEN support and I’d read your comments I would be mortified! MY SEN children are amongst the best behaved in my class!

How is it subjective to give ticket for good behaviour? I’d give out stickers but I teach in KS2 so they are a little older to appreciate it! No one complains when EYFS children return home with stickers on their jumpers which is much the same thing as a raffle ticket! I also give out other rewards in line with my schools behaviour policy but my raffle ticket system is a little extra boost to a class of children whose mental health has been severely affected by multiple lockdowns! Perhaps try and be a little less judgemental..unless you work in a school?

@fourminutestosavetheworld *sorry have just read you are a teacher. However I still stand by what I said. I don’t teach in your classroom or area and you don’t teach in mine! I wouldn’t profess to even make judgemental comments like yours without walking a day in your shoes and I find your comments highly unprofessional! Thank goodness you can hide behind a pseudonym on a public forum!!

Supergirl, try reading the thread. I'm a teacher and have defended SEN children throughout. My comments to you were typical of some of the comments on this thread.

And I stand by mine.

If you are the person deciding who gets a raffle ticket for good behaviour, it's a subjective system and you open yourself up to parents pointing that out or complaining privately.

I asked the questions - are some children excluded from the raffle more than others? Are behaviour expectations for SEN children the same as for other children regardless that they might have a lower tolerance for concentration etc?

If you can't answer simple questions from a fellow professional you're in the wrong job.

Hi, my son’s special needs school uses Class Dojo. All children earn points for I individually relevant targets it could be a specific learning goal such as spellings, reading a book, learning a skill, completing a piece of work or more general like being respectful, kind, helpful, remembering to use kind language/behaviour. The points can be “spent” at the end of term on a choice of free time activity, in the tuck shop or saved up until the end of term when a voucher will be sent home for the child to spend instead. What did the teacher say when you asked about it?

@fourminutestosavetheworld I have just amended below. But thanks all the same! Your post doesn’t read as though it’s like that! It comes across as rather rude. I do what works for my children in the same way you do. I find a raffle is the fairest way! I also do provide the class with some whole class rewards. There are plenty of ways to be fair. I have also set aside a class list to ensure even distribution of certificates. There are plenty of ways to ensure the distribution of ‘treats’ is fair but there also doesn’t need to be constant reward otherwise the children would have nothing to aim for!

@fourminutestosavetheworld IF YOU READ the thread! You will see I have answered those questions! But thankyou for questioning my professional inter gritty! Thank goodness I don’t work with you! As I said the SEN children in my class are amongst the best behaved in my class and in fact I would go as far as to say they should be model examples for others to follow!! In my school, the children require a lot of nurture and support! I find the systems I use work well and I don’t use them constantly or willingly! Nor have parents ever complained about the way I use them! Once again you continue to be quite hurtful and judgemental! But I wouldn’t go as far as to say that if you are making comments like that..perhaps you are in the wrong profession! Have a lovely day! Enjoy half term!

*integrity!!! Autocorrect

Supergirl, I think your post highlights how getting this right as teachers is so difficult.

All of the strategies you mention have already been criticised by various parents on this thread.

I have been looking for advice on here regarding what parents perceive as a fair system but there hasn't been any consensus yet.

FWIW I use a range of rewards too - house points, table points, class points, weekly certificate, homework raffle, treat box, rewards such as postcards home, visit to Head, obviously constant verbal and written praise.

All treats with a cost attached are funded by me of course, not that I've ever had a thank you from a parent (treat box sweets, certificates and postcards, half termly class rewards).

Quite sad to read how bitterly some parents resent it when you reward the wrong child, or don't reward their child visibly or often enough tbh.

Ok supergirl I've no idea what you're on about. Asking questions isn't being judgmental but I don't think I'll be able to persuade you otherwise somehow.

@fourminutestosavetheworld

Ok supergirl I've no idea what you're on about. Asking questions isn't being judgmental but I don't think I'll be able to persuade you otherwise somehow.

You’ve told me that I’m in the wrong job!

No this is what I said :

"If you can't answer simple questions from a fellow professional you're in the wrong job."

When you got cross about me asking questions.

@Juststopamoment

It’s pretty unanimous that YANBU and how unpopular this system of rewarding bullies is! And that doesn’t include SEN. I know the boy who bullied my son was definitely not SEN but was rewarded with a role in school that was only one down from head boy despite still misbehaving in class!

He might not have been SEN, but he also might well have been from a family in chaos: flight from domestic violence; already on social services radar; hunger; ill fitting clothes/shoes falling apart but no money for replacements; neglectful/struggling to cope themselves parents who have no time for or money to spend on their children. All surrounded by children with loving, capable, attentive parents and lots of activities and outings after school and at the weekends.

I think a lot of posters would be shocked if they realised what some of their children's classmates have to go home to every day ... there's a reason some of them act they way they act.

@fourminutestosavetheworld
Your doing a fantastic job and I totally agree.
Other parents cannot possibly know or judge other children, and neither is it their place to.