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Guest post contributed by Classcraft Ambassador Luke Henke
You are in the final stretch toward summer. Spring break seems like a distant memory, and summer break seems a faraway dream. It’s easy to let teacher burnout settle in and start coasting to the end of the year.
Teacher burnout comes easily at this point. Stay strong! You are one of the primary models of integrity, persistence, and endurance in your students’ lives. I love how Classcraft helps hold students accountable (and in turn, they help me to never forget a random event!).
Whether you are just now finding Classcraft or winding down a year with it, here are a few tips to reset your teaching life.
Tip #1: Review expectations and reinforce consequences.
Review the Hero Pact and the purpose of Classcraft in your classroom so students recall the expectations for the class. Consistency is key in keeping gaming momentum going.
The Book of Laments is a great record keeper for owed consequences, but I may forget to check the Laments as students try to avoid paying their dues. So make a laminated board/poster or section off part of a whiteboard with the “Recently Deceased,” so you know which students have uncompleted sentences in the Book of Laments. This helps teammates remember who’s responsible for their missing Health Points (HP). Not only will students see the names, but more importantly, they will see continued justice as names are added and erased.
Tip #2: Increase the number of random events done per day, and not just at the beginning of class.
If another event occurs that the students perceive as negative, I allow a Mage to use “Invisibility” so I don’t see that event and a new one is chosen.
Take a few minutes and brainstorm new events with students and add those in. This is tons easier in the newer interface thanks to the “edit events” button in the lower righthand corner.
Tip #3: If you haven’t yet, delegate record-keeping responsibilities to a student.
I recommend having a rotation set up for students to take control. I hand that student my iPad, and they become the “Hand of the Gamemaster” for the day. They get a nice bonus of Gold Pieces (GP) and Experience Points (XP). I also like how it opens their eyes to the responsibility that teachers bear in keeping track of everything that goes on.
Tip #4: Grab some new ideas from the official community forums.
Go introduce yourself and check out some tips! There are some great ideas on sentence consequences and XP rewards as well. It’s where I got the idea for “Hand of the Gamemaster” and my “Bounty Board”:
Visit some of the idea pools, such as the forums conversations about Powers, Power Names, Events, and Sentences.
Tip #5: Design a random boss battle that students won’t expect (aka a pop quiz), but throw in humor.
This helps build some rapport with students. I have a student inventory that includes favorite foods and unique talents, so I would add in this question: “Which student likes Chinese and has double-jointed toes?”
Remember, Classcraft transforms your class into a game, and games are supposed to be fun (and challenging). Make it so for your students. Your attitude and perception of students will be reflected onto each learner who sits in those chairs. They will respond in kind.
Dr. Tim Elmore shares the 101% principle — find the 1% that is good (much searching may be required) and focus 100% of your attention there. I know a few students I will have to practice this on, and I’m sure you do too. Watch a few educational TED.com talks, or re-read some motivational books that inspired you as a teacher. Stay positive, and let your dreams grow with your students.
Luke Henke is passionate about growing students into young mathematicians and leaders. He teaches algebra through calculus in high school and also for a local community college. Coaching math team, cross country, and track allows him to stay below the obese level according to his Wii Balance Board. He is starting his doctorate in educational leadership while also enjoying spending time with his wife and newborn son.
Photo credit: JoHo / Shutterstock.com