NEWS
Classroom Management With Blocksi: A California Teacher’s Experience
Karma Richards, known online as “Karma Teaches“, is an English and AVID middle school teacher in California who has built a classroom culture around three things: calm, creativity, and support. But like most teachers today, she teaches in a world where routines change fast, every student has a Chromebook, and classroom management includes tabs, screens, messages—not just seats, pencils, and paper.
Mrs. Richards isn’t a tech-first teacher. She’s a relationship-first teacher who uses tech where it helps. Her story is a practical look at how classroom management can feel easier—not heavier—when the right tools meet the right expectations.
“We didn’t even have laptops when I was in school.”
Karma started teaching at a time when 1:1 devices were already standard. But she still remembers high school just ten years ago: no laptops, no smart boards, no digital assignments. Now, she says, everything depends on Chromebooks. And technology hasn’t only changed how students learn, it has also changed how teachers have to manage the room.
Like many teachers today, she had to find a balance between:
- independence and structure
- student freedom and focus
- creativity and control
Students adapt quickly to new tools. Teachers are expected to keep pace: “You have to match what your students know. If you don’t stay up to date, they’ll be running the classroom.” As classrooms became more digital, Karma needed tools that helped her stay present with kids—not tools that added more work.
A Classroom Built on Calm, Creativity, and Support
Karma describes her classroom in three simple words: calm, creative, supportive.
Her students move, talk, write, revise, create stories, make videos, do gallery walks, and jump into discussions. The energy can shift from quiet to lively in seconds, but her expectations always stay the same:
- Respect each other
- Use technology responsibly
- Ask for help when you need it
That last part wasn’t always easy. Karma said “Some kids won’t walk up to my desk. They won’t raise their hands. They won’t interrupt. They’ll just sit stuck.” She needed a way for every student—not just the outspoken ones—to feel comfortable reaching out. That’s one of the ways she started using Blocksi. Its Teacher Dashboard became one of the tools that supports that routine, fitting naturally into the expectations she already had in place and helping her keep the lesson moving without adding extra steps.
Check out Karma’s guide to using Blocksi in the classroom — featuring her top 5 favorite tools. 💻
Freedom, Focus, and the “Riding a Bike” Analogy
One thing Karma talks about often is trust. Students need freedom to explore ideas and be creative — but they also need guidance.
She compares it to learning to ride a bike: “When you take the training wheels off, you’re riding on your own. But you see your parent in the distance, and you feel safe knowing they’re there. That’s how Blocksi works for me.”
Students have agency. Teachers have visibility. The combination feels safe — not restrictive.
How Blocksi Supports Her Classroom
#1 Quick Chat (“DM-ing the teacher”)
This is the feature Karma calls “revolutionary.” “Shy kids don’t want to raise their hand or interrupt. Quick Chat makes me more accessible to them.” Students message her privately. She responds quietly. No spotlight, no pressure. “They say, ‘Miss, I DM’d you!’ and I love that it gives them confidence.”
#2 Background visibility that builds trust
Karma keeps Blocksi running throughout class: “It looks like I’m watching even when I’m talking to a student or answering an email.” Students know she’s there — and that consistency keeps the room calmer. Karma also adds: “As much as they say they don’t like it, I know they do. It makes them feel safe.”
#3 Show Screen — the feature students react to the most
Her students love-hate this one: “They think I’m hacking their laptops. It goes black for one second and they lose it every time.” But it helps them understand instructions instantly: “They have that lightbulb moment when they see it right in front of them.” And because they can’t click away, it keeps them focused.
#4 Staying focused with Restrict Tabs
Sixth graders — as Karma puts it — “have a million tabs open.” Restrict Tabs keeps them on task, removes the constant toggling, and reduces laptop lag.
What “Karma Teaches” Wants Other Teachers to Know
Karma’s advice is simple: “Take a little time to get familiar with it. Even 30 minutes. It really has made classroom management night and day.” And her final practical tip? “Try a Heads Up. Or have students tent their laptops. It changed my class.”
Why Her Teacher Story Matters
Karma’s classroom shows what happens when technology supports relationships — not replaces them. For teachers, it’s a reminder that classroom management can feel calmer when visibility, expectations, and trust work together.
For admins, it’s a window into how tools like Blocksi simplify the work teachers are already doing — especially in rooms built on consistency, creativity, and student voice.
Karma didn’t change how she teaches. Blocksi just helps her do more of what already works.
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