I’m thankful for the CHAMPS classroom management management because this is easily one of the most challenging aspects of teaching.
As teaching becomes more stressful with increased accountability standards and high-stakes testing, a well-managed classroom is key to maximizing student learning opportunities. The more time teachers have to spend correcting behaviors and getting students’ attention, the less time students have to learn (and this leads to very stressed-out teachers)!
To maintain my sanity, I am sold on CHAMPS for classroom management. It is a positive and proactive approach. Just like you plan lessons to teach a learning target, CHAMPS allows you to teach behavior expectations throughout the school day. However, I must point out that CHAMPS is just one component that I use.
I still have classroom rules.
For example, #1 is Keep the Dear Teacher Happy. 🙂 I still have consequences if students do not follow the classroom rules. I provide various incentives such as money for the school store, popcorn parties, extra recess, bringing their favorite stuffed animal to school, and Fun Friday.
Additionally, I have an attention signal for when I need everyone to stop what they are doing, look at the teacher, and listen for directions.
CHAMPS is a system of expectations that works with any set of rules, rewards, or consequences that you are already implementing.
It can even be used if your school has a specific classroom management program in place. For example, my school has the 3 Bs: Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful. Those are common terms all teachers use. I still use those terms frequently, but I also use CHAMPS in my classroom.
CHAMPS is part of Randy Sprick’s Safe and Civil Schools and is a research-based program with over thirty years of classroom research.
The CHAMPS acronym stands for:
According to Safe and Civil Schools, CHAMPS strategies are easy to implement and will:
In order for CHAMPS to be successful, students need numerous opportunities to practice what each expectation looks and sounds like.
One easy way to do this is to have the students become actors and actresses. They can model examples and non-examples to show their friends. This provides them a fun way to learn expectations.
Once students have been taught what CHAMPS looks like, then before each “activity,” the expectations need to be explained.
This can be done before whole group, before students are doing independent work, before transitions between activities, and before guided reading/guided math and work stations.
In addition to CHAMPS, it is important to also positively praise and reward (class points) as much as possible when students are demonstrating the expectations.
By the same token, if students are not following the expectations, then teachers need to follow through with their classroom management system.
If I am teaching to the whole group, then my CHAMPS expectations would be the following:
If we are doing guided reading, and I’m working with a small group but students are at work stations, then my CHAMPS expectations would be the following:
In the above picture, I used green highlighter tape to highlight each expectation. I can use it over and over, and it’s easy to move. You could also use sticky note arrows or clothes pins.
The key to CHAMPS is that expectations are explained before the activity begins. In addition, through modeling and practice, responsible school behaviors have been taught. Many times I feel like I’m a broken record. However, the students clearly understand my expectations, and we can spend more time learning!
You can download my CHAMPS poster here!
Literacy without Worksheets loves to provide hands-on learning opportunities for her students. Currently, she works as a literacy coach and teaches reading intervention groups. When she is not teaching, she loves reading, running, and traveling.
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