Engagement

Class Points System

Gamify classroom participation

About Class Points System

Award and track points for individual students or table groups during a lesson, with running totals everyone can see on a shared screen.

Visible, immediate acknowledgement is what makes this work in a classroom. The specific points matter far less than the fact that the behaviour was noticed at the moment it happened.

How to use it

  1. 1Add your students or table groups.
  2. 2Award points during the lesson as behaviours occur.
  3. 3Display the running totals where the class can see them.

Using points well

  • Say what the point is for. Awarding it silently teaches nothing, while naming the behaviour makes the expectation explicit to everyone.
  • Award for effort and process rather than only for correct answers, so students who find the work harder can still earn recognition.
  • Keep it immediate. A point given at the moment carries far more weight than one recorded at the end of the lesson.
  • Use group points to encourage students to support each other rather than compete individually.
  • Avoid removing points as punishment. Losing points tends to produce resentment rather than changed behaviour, and undermines the system's credibility.

Frequently asked questions

Do point systems actually change behaviour?

They help most when points name a specific behaviour and are awarded immediately. Used as a general reward currency without that specificity, their effect fades quickly as novelty wears off.

Should I take points away for poor behaviour?

Generally not. Removal tends to generate resentment and arguments about fairness, and it makes the system feel punitive rather than encouraging.

Individual or group points?

Group points encourage students to help one another and reduce the sting of individual comparison. Many teachers use both, with group points for collaboration and individual ones for effort.