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Who else is overwhelmed??

 Today is already Sept 22, 2022 and we have only been in school for 19 days... but who's counting. I come home tired, hang out with my own children and have to do it all over again in the morning. Each day I learn a little more about my class. I have 18 first graders, 17 of which are level 1-2 ELLs. I am constantly challenged on how to get my littles to stay engaged and learn how to read or add. Unfortunately, I seem to lose their attention before I get through my "engaging" lessons. I have learned quickly that 18 unengaged seven-year olds is a disaster waiting to happen. So, time for some creativity. Classdojo to the rescue. Have you heard of it? This candy on the computer has become my secret weapon. Dojo gives points for good behavior with a little bell that chimes. Pavlov's dog!! That little bell chimes and all the kids stop and get ready to do their best. At 25 points I reward them with a little squishy toy that can go into a "home" (tuperware) until dismissal when they can play with them. What a little point can do! If you haven't tried this gem of a reward system... go for it! It can be a lifesaver. This amazing app has additional features, such as a story feed and a communication tool that translates in tons of different languages. Go check it out! www.classdojo.com

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