April 11, 2026
Ambassador Interview: David Mueller on Gamifying His Classroom with ClassMana
When Classcraft shut down, thousands of teachers lost a classroom gamification tool they
relied on daily. David Mueller was one of them — a former Classcraft ambassador who had built his entire classroom
management approach around gamification.
We sat down with David to hear how he transitioned to ClassMana, and how he uses boss battles, experience points, and
physical reward cards to keep his 4th graders engaged.
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is David Mueller. I teach 4th grade at a public school in Northern Indiana. I usually have around 25 students in
my class of various abilities.
How did you use Classcraft in the past?
I was introduced to Classcraft by my principal at the time. She had just come back from a conference where she had heard
about it. It looked geeky and fun and she knew I would love it. What she didn't know was, as a geeky gamer AND teacher,
Classcraft was actually the number one targeted ad for me on my Facebook account at the time. I just hadn't looked into
it. With her encouragement, I jumped in.
I found the ambassador program and applied and quickly became an ambassador for Classcraft. My students instantly fell
in love with the platform. They loved getting an avatar that they could level up and change their gear and appearance. I
started writing quests for my students with bounties where if they read certain books, they could earn xp and gold. I
quickly got a reputation at my school as the teacher who did "that Classcraft program" and my students always told me
they were excited to be in my class.
I liked it because it had so many tools built into one space and rewarded students in a way they understood, with xp,
levels, and gear, just like their favorite video games. However, despite the gaming experience, it was still a solid
classroom management platform. I loved how easy it was to customize it. When I would give trainings on Classcraft, one
of my main points was always "Make it work for you. Customize it so that you are enjoying it as much as the students."
After Classcraft disappeared, what were you looking for in a new tool?
I was heartbroken when Classcraft announced they were shutting down. So much so that I created an online petition. That
petition got over a thousand signatures, but HMH already had plans for the name, and stuck with their decision to scrap
the original platform.
I started looking around at other options. Nothing quite had the same feel to it. I tried a badge earning system for a
little bit, but it just didn't have the same engagement that Classcraft did.
It was at this point that Koen reached out to me through my petition asking if I would send updates about his new
platform that he was tailoring to replace Classcraft. I agreed and have come to greatly appreciate Koen's vision and
hard work. I have been very impressed with how responsive he is and open to new ideas. Some of my favorite features so
far are the customizable avatars for students, as well as the boss battles.
How are you using ClassMana in your classroom right now?
In my room, we often use the boss battles for review of any topic. I usually bring up a service like IXL to show to the
class, and then the students take turns answering questions. If we get enough questions correct, we defeat the boss. The
students love the boss battles.
Also, I give xp for answering questions in class. This has led to much higher engagement in my class, since the students
know if their hand is up to participate, they will be getting xp.
When they level up, I give them a laminated picture of a potion. At the end of the day, they can save that potion for a
bigger reward, or go to our treasure chest and exchange it for an item. The physical potion card is a great way to boost
engagement with the program.
Which ClassMana tools or features work best for you?
The boss battle is a great review tool that I use often, and being able to reward xp has also boosted student
engagement. I also use the silence meter for quiet work time and it usually keeps the class quiet and on task. (After
having a discussion with that one kid that always TRIES to make the silence meter go off. You know the one.)
What do your students seem to enjoy most about ClassMana?
My students love leveling up and outfitting their avatar when they level up. However, I do explain to them that this is
almost always a home activity. The physical potion print outs have kept them very excited. I also recently brought back
bounties on my math tests where if 80% of the class gets an on level score of the test, we defeat the monster and
collect a bounty of xp.
What tips would you give to other teachers using ClassMana?
Dive deep into the settings. What do you want the kids to work toward? How often do you want to reward them? What might
they have consequences for? Tailor it to how you want to use it. If you're elementary like me, consider starting use in
just one class. That is ok! My students know that I tend to use it more heavily during math instruction.
What is the most unexpected, funny, or memorable thing that happened in class?
When you show introduction videos and get the kids hyped for Classmana, it is easy to over do it. It looks engaging, has
plenty of tools to use, and the kids are rip roaring and ready to go.
I remember rolling it out and one or two of the students getting their login, only to quickly realize that their login
only allowed them to customize their avatar. They were expecting a video game, or a world to explore like Prodigy Math
or Minecraft. It was a "is this it?" moment for them.
However, as I explained its purpose and how we would use it as a class, they quickly began to see that it was much more
than customizing their avatar, and even if it had been, it was a fun element to add to the classroom that they didn't
have before.
Thank you to David for sharing his experience! If you're a teacher looking to gamify your classroom, you can
get started with ClassMana for free. Looking for more ways to use gamification in education?
Check out our guide on classroom gamification.
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