Ambassador Interview: Dan Taviv on Gamifying His High School Classroom in South Africa

Dan Taviv is a math and IT teacher at Yeshiva College in Johannesburg, South Africa, with over a decade of classroom experience. A former Classcraft user and now a ClassMana ambassador, Dan uses gamification to drive student engagement across his Grade 8–12 classes — from real-time experience points to daily random events that his students can't get enough of.

We spoke with Dan about how he transitioned from Classcraft to ClassMana, and how gamification has transformed participation and behavior in his classroom.

My name is Dan Taviv, and I am a teacher from South Africa with over 10 years of teaching experience. I am currently teaching at Yeshiva College, where I work with Grade 8 to Grade 12 students (ages 12–18). I specialize in teaching Mathematics and Information Technology (Computer Science/Programming). I typically teach around five different classes, and have experience working with a wide range of class sizes, from small groups of 3 learners to larger classes of up to 31 learners.

I used Classcraft daily as a staple of my classroom management approach. It played a central role in encouraging positive behaviour and increasing student engagement. I used it to motivate students to participate actively in lessons, particularly by rewarding them for answering questions and completing classwork first. It was also effective in expectations around behaviour and supporting accountability for homework completion. What I appreciated most about Classcraft was how it turned everyday classroom expectations into something engaging and game-like, which helped students stay motivated and invested in their learning, especially with Random Events keeping things interesting.

After Classcraft closed, I needed a tool with the same functions I used most. This included rewarding points for good behaviour and losing points for bad behaviour in a clear and consistent way. I also wanted students to be able to gain special rewards, like powers, after levelling up from earning positive points, as this was very motivating for them. A system to display and manage all their points was important so both I and the students could easily track progress. I also liked having a fantasy setting where students could use their powers, as it made the classroom more engaging. Lastly, a random event generator that I could edit was important to help keep lessons unique, fun, and interesting.

I have the page open and ready before students even enter the classroom, as learners can earn points for being the first students seated and ready with their stationery out. It is displayed on the whiteboard using a projector so all students can see it clearly. I keep it visible for most of the lesson, only switching away when I need to display work or questions. I regularly switch back to it to show experience being rewarded or health being deducted, so students can see the immediate impact of their behaviour and participation.

This helps keep students engaged throughout the lesson, as they are constantly aware that their actions can earn rewards or consequences in real time.

The points and stats system, including experience, health, and gold, works best for me. Learners really respond to seeing their points change based on good and bad behaviour. It makes everything more immediate and meaningful for them. They also become quite competitive, trying to earn more points than their classmates, and they take pride in gaining experience, especially when it comes from answering questions or participating well. It is also very effective for managing behaviour. I can quickly address poor behaviour with a simple click to deduct health, and the strong reaction from other students reinforces the consequence. Even if the learner is not paying attention at first, they quickly become aware through the class response.

My students absolutely love the random event of the day. They ask for it every lesson and remind me if I forget. They even request make-up events if I am absent or if school is closed for holidays. They really enjoy that each day brings something weird, fun, and unique. They also like that it gives them a chance to earn points in different ways, not just through normal class participation. The random trivia and quirky physical activities are especially popular. There is always a sense of curiosity about what the activity will be, and they often ask for more, even though I only allow one per lesson. To help manage behaviour, I have started using random events as a privilege. If a class is misbehaving or too much time is needed to deduct health or manage incomplete homework, then we do not get to the event. This has made students more aware of their behaviour, as they know they can lose something they enjoy.

It is very customisable, so use what works best for you. Do not be afraid to start with one or two simple systems at first, and then slowly add more features as you become comfortable and discover better ways to use it. Every teacher, classroom, and even each class is different, so different approaches will work in different situations. Do not be afraid to use it in your own way and adjust when necessary. At the end of the day, it is a tool to make your life easier and help manage your classroom, so focus on what works best for you and your students.

One of the most memorable moments for me, which really shows how strongly students respond to a system like this, was a humorous incident from my early years of using it. I had a class arriving straight after another, and in that class was a very shy and quiet girl who barely spoke and was always very polite. At the time, students could earn experience and gold for being the first seated with all their stationery out, showing they were ready to start the lesson. On this particular day, a student from the previous class had recently been injured and was using crutches, so they were moving more slowly than usual. The shy student had rushed in and was waiting to sit down in her seat, which he had been using in the previous class, so she could earn her points. She became so anxious about missing out that she suddenly yelled at the injured student to hurry up. Both she herself and I were completely shocked by the outburst, as it was very out of character. She immediately apologised, but it stuck with me. It was such a clear example of how seriously students can take the system, even a normally quiet and reserved student reacted strongly over something as simple as imaginary points.