How to create a learning environment so positive that it crosses over into every facet of your school.
I could list all of the things that fill your time…but this article would turn into the “Great American Novel” real quick!
So I won’t do that. Let’s just accept that you are busy and you’re doing the best that you can. This means that the behavior management strategies you’ve created are largely out of necessity. You need your students to behave because you simply don’t have the time to waste.
Let’s also give that same grace to your colleagues. They’re busy too. They’ve created behavior management strategies that suit them and their needs. They had to.
But these solutions born out of necessity have presented your students and the school as a whole with a problem. You lack consistency between classrooms.
Those rules, structures, routines, and procedures can’t carry over to the hallway, cafeteria, library, gymnasium, or auditorium. Your colleagues, your students, and your school need a consistent behavior management plan.
That’s why schools are structuring their behavior management plans around the term “CHAMPS”.
CHAMPS stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success. It is a proactive approach to classroom management that helps teachers create a positive and productive learning environment.
The acronym helps teachers to focus on the following elements of classroom management:
The teacher sets the tone for the classroom by modeling appropriate conversation skills, such as speaking in a quiet voice and listening attentively. This is where you want to define things like voice level and create consistent language that can be replicated throughout the school.
Your students need to know that silent, partner, and group voice levels mean the same thing everywhere in your building. That starts in the classroom.
The teacher makes it clear how students can get help if they need it. This could include providing clear instructions, offering one-on-one assistance, or creating a system for students to ask questions.
This could be as simple as “Raise your hand if you have any questions”.
Or it could be more specific like my standing rule during independent work that students “ask two before me”. This was my expectation that students would ask their shoulder partners for clarifications on directions if they missed something.
Without this, I would spend crucial time repeating directions to each table instead of helping those who needed content and skill-specific assistance.
The teacher ensures that while students are engaged in appropriate activities they understand the specific expectations on those activities.
You should have different procedures for quiet reading time vs small group instruction and science labs should require different prompts than journaling. This is where a high degree of flexibility comes into play and it’s also what makes CHAMPS so easy to translate room to room.
You as a teacher have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to content. You also have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to your students. Make these your own and set your students up for success within the structure.
This refers to how the teacher allows students to move around the classroom in a way that is safe and appropriate for the activity. Particularly when it comes to transitions between activities you should utilize pre-corrections as a means to deter possible distractions.
By mastering classroom management skills like this one, teachers can deter many issues before they ever begin. This also applies to everyday activities such as arrival and dismissal.
The teacher provides opportunities for all students to participate in activities and discussions. That participation should look different for each activity.
Should students be taking notes? Should they be discussing the content with a shoulder buddy? Students need to know the level of participation that is expected of them.
The teacher celebrates student success and provides positive reinforcement. This can be done with rewards but more often than not simple praise is sufficient for motivating students in the classroom.
When students meet the expectations, let them know they have! Thank them for helping create a better learning environment for everyone. It can be as simple as a fist bump or a high-five!
Ok…you probably now agree that the CHAMPS acronym is a helpful tool for improving classroom management…but weren’t we discussing behavior management? Yes! Let’s dive into why this process carries over outside of your classroom.
There are many reasons why schools should use CHAMPS to improve behavior management.
Here are five of the most relevant reasons that schools choose CHAMPS:
CHAMPS is a proactive approach to behavior management. It focuses on preventing problems before they happen, rather than reacting to problems after they have occurred.
This can help to reduce the amount of time that teachers spend dealing with misbehavior, and it can also help to create a more positive and productive learning environment. That consistency allows the conditions for learning to not just be present in one classroom, but all classrooms.
CHAMPS is a positive approach to behavior management. It focuses on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior.
This can help to build positive relationships between students and teachers, and it can also help to motivate students to behave appropriately.
This also serves as a reinforcement for teachers as they hear the language that their colleagues use and feel more comfortable prompting or redirecting students in the same manner.
CHAMPS is a flexible approach to behavior management. It can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. This makes it a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of settings.
CHAMPS is a sustainable approach to behavior management. It does not require a lot of time or resources to implement. This means that it can be used by schools of all sizes and budgets.
An underrated benefit of CHAMPS is that ensures that the teacher doesn’t forget to communicate expectations. By going through the acronym, you're ensuring that you're covering all of your bases.
The more you use the program, the more you communicate it with your students and the better you get at communicating those expectations. That’s the kind of edge a new teacher could use!
CHAMPS can be a great resource for all schools, but it is particularly suited for younger students. Utilizing CHAMPS as the base for your elementary behavior rubric can lead to some great results.
For example, Del Valle Elementary School was able to reduce referrals by 82%! You can see their behavior rubric here and more details on their plan here.
The CHAMPS system is based on the idea that by focusing on those six elements, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment where students are more likely to behave appropriately.
CHAMPS is a flexible tool that can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. By using CHAMPS as the basis for their behavior rubrics, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment for all students.
Here are some additional tips for using the CHAMPS system effectively:
The more consistent you are with the CHAMPS system, the more effective it will be.
Focus on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior. CHAMPS works great in conjunction with other positive approaches like PBIS. If your district has adopted PBIS, CHAMPS can be a great way to mold those positive behavioral intervention strategies to the unique needs of your students and your building.
Be willing to adapt the CHAMPS system to meet the needs of your students and your classroom.
It takes time to see the benefits of the CHAMPS system. Don't give up if you don't see results immediately.
As you review your plans or draft new ones, always remember your goal when designing behavior management protocols: what conditions must be met in order for learning to happen?
With CHAMPS, you have the ability to define those conditions from classroom to classroom and beyond.
Keep your plan centered around that. Keep the main thing, the main thing! That’s how you really get the most out of your behavior management plan.
I could list all of the things that fill your time…but this article would turn into the “Great American Novel” real quick!
So I won’t do that. Let’s just accept that you are busy and you’re doing the best that you can. This means that the behavior management strategies you’ve created are largely out of necessity. You need your students to behave because you simply don’t have the time to waste.
Let’s also give that same grace to your colleagues. They’re busy too. They’ve created behavior management strategies that suit them and their needs. They had to.
But these solutions born out of necessity have presented your students and the school as a whole with a problem. You lack consistency between classrooms.
Those rules, structures, routines, and procedures can’t carry over to the hallway, cafeteria, library, gymnasium, or auditorium. Your colleagues, your students, and your school need a consistent behavior management plan.
That’s why schools are structuring their behavior management plans around the term “CHAMPS”.
CHAMPS stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success. It is a proactive approach to classroom management that helps teachers create a positive and productive learning environment.
The acronym helps teachers to focus on the following elements of classroom management:
The teacher sets the tone for the classroom by modeling appropriate conversation skills, such as speaking in a quiet voice and listening attentively. This is where you want to define things like voice level and create consistent language that can be replicated throughout the school.
Your students need to know that silent, partner, and group voice levels mean the same thing everywhere in your building. That starts in the classroom.
The teacher makes it clear how students can get help if they need it. This could include providing clear instructions, offering one-on-one assistance, or creating a system for students to ask questions.
This could be as simple as “Raise your hand if you have any questions”.
Or it could be more specific like my standing rule during independent work that students “ask two before me”. This was my expectation that students would ask their shoulder partners for clarifications on directions if they missed something.
Without this, I would spend crucial time repeating directions to each table instead of helping those who needed content and skill-specific assistance.
The teacher ensures that while students are engaged in appropriate activities they understand the specific expectations on those activities.
You should have different procedures for quiet reading time vs small group instruction and science labs should require different prompts than journaling. This is where a high degree of flexibility comes into play and it’s also what makes CHAMPS so easy to translate room to room.
You as a teacher have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to content. You also have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to your students. Make these your own and set your students up for success within the structure.
This refers to how the teacher allows students to move around the classroom in a way that is safe and appropriate for the activity. Particularly when it comes to transitions between activities you should utilize pre-corrections as a means to deter possible distractions.
By mastering classroom management skills like this one, teachers can deter many issues before they ever begin. This also applies to everyday activities such as arrival and dismissal.
The teacher provides opportunities for all students to participate in activities and discussions. That participation should look different for each activity.
Should students be taking notes? Should they be discussing the content with a shoulder buddy? Students need to know the level of participation that is expected of them.
The teacher celebrates student success and provides positive reinforcement. This can be done with rewards but more often than not simple praise is sufficient for motivating students in the classroom.
When students meet the expectations, let them know they have! Thank them for helping create a better learning environment for everyone. It can be as simple as a fist bump or a high-five!
Ok…you probably now agree that the CHAMPS acronym is a helpful tool for improving classroom management…but weren’t we discussing behavior management? Yes! Let’s dive into why this process carries over outside of your classroom.
There are many reasons why schools should use CHAMPS to improve behavior management.
Here are five of the most relevant reasons that schools choose CHAMPS:
CHAMPS is a proactive approach to behavior management. It focuses on preventing problems before they happen, rather than reacting to problems after they have occurred.
This can help to reduce the amount of time that teachers spend dealing with misbehavior, and it can also help to create a more positive and productive learning environment. That consistency allows the conditions for learning to not just be present in one classroom, but all classrooms.
CHAMPS is a positive approach to behavior management. It focuses on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior.
This can help to build positive relationships between students and teachers, and it can also help to motivate students to behave appropriately.
This also serves as a reinforcement for teachers as they hear the language that their colleagues use and feel more comfortable prompting or redirecting students in the same manner.
CHAMPS is a flexible approach to behavior management. It can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. This makes it a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of settings.
CHAMPS is a sustainable approach to behavior management. It does not require a lot of time or resources to implement. This means that it can be used by schools of all sizes and budgets.
An underrated benefit of CHAMPS is that ensures that the teacher doesn’t forget to communicate expectations. By going through the acronym, you're ensuring that you're covering all of your bases.
The more you use the program, the more you communicate it with your students and the better you get at communicating those expectations. That’s the kind of edge a new teacher could use!
CHAMPS can be a great resource for all schools, but it is particularly suited for younger students. Utilizing CHAMPS as the base for your elementary behavior rubric can lead to some great results.
For example, Del Valle Elementary School was able to reduce referrals by 82%! You can see their behavior rubric here and more details on their plan here.
The CHAMPS system is based on the idea that by focusing on those six elements, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment where students are more likely to behave appropriately.
CHAMPS is a flexible tool that can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. By using CHAMPS as the basis for their behavior rubrics, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment for all students.
Here are some additional tips for using the CHAMPS system effectively:
The more consistent you are with the CHAMPS system, the more effective it will be.
Focus on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior. CHAMPS works great in conjunction with other positive approaches like PBIS. If your district has adopted PBIS, CHAMPS can be a great way to mold those positive behavioral intervention strategies to the unique needs of your students and your building.
Be willing to adapt the CHAMPS system to meet the needs of your students and your classroom.
It takes time to see the benefits of the CHAMPS system. Don't give up if you don't see results immediately.
As you review your plans or draft new ones, always remember your goal when designing behavior management protocols: what conditions must be met in order for learning to happen?
With CHAMPS, you have the ability to define those conditions from classroom to classroom and beyond.
Keep your plan centered around that. Keep the main thing, the main thing! That’s how you really get the most out of your behavior management plan.
I could list all of the things that fill your time…but this article would turn into the “Great American Novel” real quick!
So I won’t do that. Let’s just accept that you are busy and you’re doing the best that you can. This means that the behavior management strategies you’ve created are largely out of necessity. You need your students to behave because you simply don’t have the time to waste.
Let’s also give that same grace to your colleagues. They’re busy too. They’ve created behavior management strategies that suit them and their needs. They had to.
But these solutions born out of necessity have presented your students and the school as a whole with a problem. You lack consistency between classrooms.
Those rules, structures, routines, and procedures can’t carry over to the hallway, cafeteria, library, gymnasium, or auditorium. Your colleagues, your students, and your school need a consistent behavior management plan.
That’s why schools are structuring their behavior management plans around the term “CHAMPS”.
CHAMPS stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success. It is a proactive approach to classroom management that helps teachers create a positive and productive learning environment.
The acronym helps teachers to focus on the following elements of classroom management:
The teacher sets the tone for the classroom by modeling appropriate conversation skills, such as speaking in a quiet voice and listening attentively. This is where you want to define things like voice level and create consistent language that can be replicated throughout the school.
Your students need to know that silent, partner, and group voice levels mean the same thing everywhere in your building. That starts in the classroom.
The teacher makes it clear how students can get help if they need it. This could include providing clear instructions, offering one-on-one assistance, or creating a system for students to ask questions.
This could be as simple as “Raise your hand if you have any questions”.
Or it could be more specific like my standing rule during independent work that students “ask two before me”. This was my expectation that students would ask their shoulder partners for clarifications on directions if they missed something.
Without this, I would spend crucial time repeating directions to each table instead of helping those who needed content and skill-specific assistance.
The teacher ensures that while students are engaged in appropriate activities they understand the specific expectations on those activities.
You should have different procedures for quiet reading time vs small group instruction and science labs should require different prompts than journaling. This is where a high degree of flexibility comes into play and it’s also what makes CHAMPS so easy to translate room to room.
You as a teacher have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to content. You also have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to your students. Make these your own and set your students up for success within the structure.
This refers to how the teacher allows students to move around the classroom in a way that is safe and appropriate for the activity. Particularly when it comes to transitions between activities you should utilize pre-corrections as a means to deter possible distractions.
By mastering classroom management skills like this one, teachers can deter many issues before they ever begin. This also applies to everyday activities such as arrival and dismissal.
The teacher provides opportunities for all students to participate in activities and discussions. That participation should look different for each activity.
Should students be taking notes? Should they be discussing the content with a shoulder buddy? Students need to know the level of participation that is expected of them.
The teacher celebrates student success and provides positive reinforcement. This can be done with rewards but more often than not simple praise is sufficient for motivating students in the classroom.
When students meet the expectations, let them know they have! Thank them for helping create a better learning environment for everyone. It can be as simple as a fist bump or a high-five!
Ok…you probably now agree that the CHAMPS acronym is a helpful tool for improving classroom management…but weren’t we discussing behavior management? Yes! Let’s dive into why this process carries over outside of your classroom.
There are many reasons why schools should use CHAMPS to improve behavior management.
Here are five of the most relevant reasons that schools choose CHAMPS:
CHAMPS is a proactive approach to behavior management. It focuses on preventing problems before they happen, rather than reacting to problems after they have occurred.
This can help to reduce the amount of time that teachers spend dealing with misbehavior, and it can also help to create a more positive and productive learning environment. That consistency allows the conditions for learning to not just be present in one classroom, but all classrooms.
CHAMPS is a positive approach to behavior management. It focuses on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior.
This can help to build positive relationships between students and teachers, and it can also help to motivate students to behave appropriately.
This also serves as a reinforcement for teachers as they hear the language that their colleagues use and feel more comfortable prompting or redirecting students in the same manner.
CHAMPS is a flexible approach to behavior management. It can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. This makes it a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of settings.
CHAMPS is a sustainable approach to behavior management. It does not require a lot of time or resources to implement. This means that it can be used by schools of all sizes and budgets.
An underrated benefit of CHAMPS is that ensures that the teacher doesn’t forget to communicate expectations. By going through the acronym, you're ensuring that you're covering all of your bases.
The more you use the program, the more you communicate it with your students and the better you get at communicating those expectations. That’s the kind of edge a new teacher could use!
CHAMPS can be a great resource for all schools, but it is particularly suited for younger students. Utilizing CHAMPS as the base for your elementary behavior rubric can lead to some great results.
For example, Del Valle Elementary School was able to reduce referrals by 82%! You can see their behavior rubric here and more details on their plan here.
The CHAMPS system is based on the idea that by focusing on those six elements, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment where students are more likely to behave appropriately.
CHAMPS is a flexible tool that can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. By using CHAMPS as the basis for their behavior rubrics, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment for all students.
Here are some additional tips for using the CHAMPS system effectively:
The more consistent you are with the CHAMPS system, the more effective it will be.
Focus on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior. CHAMPS works great in conjunction with other positive approaches like PBIS. If your district has adopted PBIS, CHAMPS can be a great way to mold those positive behavioral intervention strategies to the unique needs of your students and your building.
Be willing to adapt the CHAMPS system to meet the needs of your students and your classroom.
It takes time to see the benefits of the CHAMPS system. Don't give up if you don't see results immediately.
As you review your plans or draft new ones, always remember your goal when designing behavior management protocols: what conditions must be met in order for learning to happen?
With CHAMPS, you have the ability to define those conditions from classroom to classroom and beyond.
Keep your plan centered around that. Keep the main thing, the main thing! That’s how you really get the most out of your behavior management plan.
I could list all of the things that fill your time…but this article would turn into the “Great American Novel” real quick!
So I won’t do that. Let’s just accept that you are busy and you’re doing the best that you can. This means that the behavior management strategies you’ve created are largely out of necessity. You need your students to behave because you simply don’t have the time to waste.
Let’s also give that same grace to your colleagues. They’re busy too. They’ve created behavior management strategies that suit them and their needs. They had to.
But these solutions born out of necessity have presented your students and the school as a whole with a problem. You lack consistency between classrooms.
Those rules, structures, routines, and procedures can’t carry over to the hallway, cafeteria, library, gymnasium, or auditorium. Your colleagues, your students, and your school need a consistent behavior management plan.
That’s why schools are structuring their behavior management plans around the term “CHAMPS”.
CHAMPS stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success. It is a proactive approach to classroom management that helps teachers create a positive and productive learning environment.
The acronym helps teachers to focus on the following elements of classroom management:
The teacher sets the tone for the classroom by modeling appropriate conversation skills, such as speaking in a quiet voice and listening attentively. This is where you want to define things like voice level and create consistent language that can be replicated throughout the school.
Your students need to know that silent, partner, and group voice levels mean the same thing everywhere in your building. That starts in the classroom.
The teacher makes it clear how students can get help if they need it. This could include providing clear instructions, offering one-on-one assistance, or creating a system for students to ask questions.
This could be as simple as “Raise your hand if you have any questions”.
Or it could be more specific like my standing rule during independent work that students “ask two before me”. This was my expectation that students would ask their shoulder partners for clarifications on directions if they missed something.
Without this, I would spend crucial time repeating directions to each table instead of helping those who needed content and skill-specific assistance.
The teacher ensures that while students are engaged in appropriate activities they understand the specific expectations on those activities.
You should have different procedures for quiet reading time vs small group instruction and science labs should require different prompts than journaling. This is where a high degree of flexibility comes into play and it’s also what makes CHAMPS so easy to translate room to room.
You as a teacher have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to content. You also have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to your students. Make these your own and set your students up for success within the structure.
This refers to how the teacher allows students to move around the classroom in a way that is safe and appropriate for the activity. Particularly when it comes to transitions between activities you should utilize pre-corrections as a means to deter possible distractions.
By mastering classroom management skills like this one, teachers can deter many issues before they ever begin. This also applies to everyday activities such as arrival and dismissal.
The teacher provides opportunities for all students to participate in activities and discussions. That participation should look different for each activity.
Should students be taking notes? Should they be discussing the content with a shoulder buddy? Students need to know the level of participation that is expected of them.
The teacher celebrates student success and provides positive reinforcement. This can be done with rewards but more often than not simple praise is sufficient for motivating students in the classroom.
When students meet the expectations, let them know they have! Thank them for helping create a better learning environment for everyone. It can be as simple as a fist bump or a high-five!
Ok…you probably now agree that the CHAMPS acronym is a helpful tool for improving classroom management…but weren’t we discussing behavior management? Yes! Let’s dive into why this process carries over outside of your classroom.
There are many reasons why schools should use CHAMPS to improve behavior management.
Here are five of the most relevant reasons that schools choose CHAMPS:
CHAMPS is a proactive approach to behavior management. It focuses on preventing problems before they happen, rather than reacting to problems after they have occurred.
This can help to reduce the amount of time that teachers spend dealing with misbehavior, and it can also help to create a more positive and productive learning environment. That consistency allows the conditions for learning to not just be present in one classroom, but all classrooms.
CHAMPS is a positive approach to behavior management. It focuses on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior.
This can help to build positive relationships between students and teachers, and it can also help to motivate students to behave appropriately.
This also serves as a reinforcement for teachers as they hear the language that their colleagues use and feel more comfortable prompting or redirecting students in the same manner.
CHAMPS is a flexible approach to behavior management. It can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. This makes it a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of settings.
CHAMPS is a sustainable approach to behavior management. It does not require a lot of time or resources to implement. This means that it can be used by schools of all sizes and budgets.
An underrated benefit of CHAMPS is that ensures that the teacher doesn’t forget to communicate expectations. By going through the acronym, you're ensuring that you're covering all of your bases.
The more you use the program, the more you communicate it with your students and the better you get at communicating those expectations. That’s the kind of edge a new teacher could use!
CHAMPS can be a great resource for all schools, but it is particularly suited for younger students. Utilizing CHAMPS as the base for your elementary behavior rubric can lead to some great results.
For example, Del Valle Elementary School was able to reduce referrals by 82%! You can see their behavior rubric here and more details on their plan here.
The CHAMPS system is based on the idea that by focusing on those six elements, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment where students are more likely to behave appropriately.
CHAMPS is a flexible tool that can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. By using CHAMPS as the basis for their behavior rubrics, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment for all students.
Here are some additional tips for using the CHAMPS system effectively:
The more consistent you are with the CHAMPS system, the more effective it will be.
Focus on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior. CHAMPS works great in conjunction with other positive approaches like PBIS. If your district has adopted PBIS, CHAMPS can be a great way to mold those positive behavioral intervention strategies to the unique needs of your students and your building.
Be willing to adapt the CHAMPS system to meet the needs of your students and your classroom.
It takes time to see the benefits of the CHAMPS system. Don't give up if you don't see results immediately.
As you review your plans or draft new ones, always remember your goal when designing behavior management protocols: what conditions must be met in order for learning to happen?
With CHAMPS, you have the ability to define those conditions from classroom to classroom and beyond.
Keep your plan centered around that. Keep the main thing, the main thing! That’s how you really get the most out of your behavior management plan.
I could list all of the things that fill your time…but this article would turn into the “Great American Novel” real quick!
So I won’t do that. Let’s just accept that you are busy and you’re doing the best that you can. This means that the behavior management strategies you’ve created are largely out of necessity. You need your students to behave because you simply don’t have the time to waste.
Let’s also give that same grace to your colleagues. They’re busy too. They’ve created behavior management strategies that suit them and their needs. They had to.
But these solutions born out of necessity have presented your students and the school as a whole with a problem. You lack consistency between classrooms.
Those rules, structures, routines, and procedures can’t carry over to the hallway, cafeteria, library, gymnasium, or auditorium. Your colleagues, your students, and your school need a consistent behavior management plan.
That’s why schools are structuring their behavior management plans around the term “CHAMPS”.
CHAMPS stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success. It is a proactive approach to classroom management that helps teachers create a positive and productive learning environment.
The acronym helps teachers to focus on the following elements of classroom management:
The teacher sets the tone for the classroom by modeling appropriate conversation skills, such as speaking in a quiet voice and listening attentively. This is where you want to define things like voice level and create consistent language that can be replicated throughout the school.
Your students need to know that silent, partner, and group voice levels mean the same thing everywhere in your building. That starts in the classroom.
The teacher makes it clear how students can get help if they need it. This could include providing clear instructions, offering one-on-one assistance, or creating a system for students to ask questions.
This could be as simple as “Raise your hand if you have any questions”.
Or it could be more specific like my standing rule during independent work that students “ask two before me”. This was my expectation that students would ask their shoulder partners for clarifications on directions if they missed something.
Without this, I would spend crucial time repeating directions to each table instead of helping those who needed content and skill-specific assistance.
The teacher ensures that while students are engaged in appropriate activities they understand the specific expectations on those activities.
You should have different procedures for quiet reading time vs small group instruction and science labs should require different prompts than journaling. This is where a high degree of flexibility comes into play and it’s also what makes CHAMPS so easy to translate room to room.
You as a teacher have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to content. You also have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to your students. Make these your own and set your students up for success within the structure.
This refers to how the teacher allows students to move around the classroom in a way that is safe and appropriate for the activity. Particularly when it comes to transitions between activities you should utilize pre-corrections as a means to deter possible distractions.
By mastering classroom management skills like this one, teachers can deter many issues before they ever begin. This also applies to everyday activities such as arrival and dismissal.
The teacher provides opportunities for all students to participate in activities and discussions. That participation should look different for each activity.
Should students be taking notes? Should they be discussing the content with a shoulder buddy? Students need to know the level of participation that is expected of them.
The teacher celebrates student success and provides positive reinforcement. This can be done with rewards but more often than not simple praise is sufficient for motivating students in the classroom.
When students meet the expectations, let them know they have! Thank them for helping create a better learning environment for everyone. It can be as simple as a fist bump or a high-five!
Ok…you probably now agree that the CHAMPS acronym is a helpful tool for improving classroom management…but weren’t we discussing behavior management? Yes! Let’s dive into why this process carries over outside of your classroom.
There are many reasons why schools should use CHAMPS to improve behavior management.
Here are five of the most relevant reasons that schools choose CHAMPS:
CHAMPS is a proactive approach to behavior management. It focuses on preventing problems before they happen, rather than reacting to problems after they have occurred.
This can help to reduce the amount of time that teachers spend dealing with misbehavior, and it can also help to create a more positive and productive learning environment. That consistency allows the conditions for learning to not just be present in one classroom, but all classrooms.
CHAMPS is a positive approach to behavior management. It focuses on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior.
This can help to build positive relationships between students and teachers, and it can also help to motivate students to behave appropriately.
This also serves as a reinforcement for teachers as they hear the language that their colleagues use and feel more comfortable prompting or redirecting students in the same manner.
CHAMPS is a flexible approach to behavior management. It can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. This makes it a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of settings.
CHAMPS is a sustainable approach to behavior management. It does not require a lot of time or resources to implement. This means that it can be used by schools of all sizes and budgets.
An underrated benefit of CHAMPS is that ensures that the teacher doesn’t forget to communicate expectations. By going through the acronym, you're ensuring that you're covering all of your bases.
The more you use the program, the more you communicate it with your students and the better you get at communicating those expectations. That’s the kind of edge a new teacher could use!
CHAMPS can be a great resource for all schools, but it is particularly suited for younger students. Utilizing CHAMPS as the base for your elementary behavior rubric can lead to some great results.
For example, Del Valle Elementary School was able to reduce referrals by 82%! You can see their behavior rubric here and more details on their plan here.
The CHAMPS system is based on the idea that by focusing on those six elements, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment where students are more likely to behave appropriately.
CHAMPS is a flexible tool that can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. By using CHAMPS as the basis for their behavior rubrics, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment for all students.
Here are some additional tips for using the CHAMPS system effectively:
The more consistent you are with the CHAMPS system, the more effective it will be.
Focus on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior. CHAMPS works great in conjunction with other positive approaches like PBIS. If your district has adopted PBIS, CHAMPS can be a great way to mold those positive behavioral intervention strategies to the unique needs of your students and your building.
Be willing to adapt the CHAMPS system to meet the needs of your students and your classroom.
It takes time to see the benefits of the CHAMPS system. Don't give up if you don't see results immediately.
As you review your plans or draft new ones, always remember your goal when designing behavior management protocols: what conditions must be met in order for learning to happen?
With CHAMPS, you have the ability to define those conditions from classroom to classroom and beyond.
Keep your plan centered around that. Keep the main thing, the main thing! That’s how you really get the most out of your behavior management plan.
Jordan resides in Lexington, Kentucky. He has experience in Public Education as an Administrator, Science Teacher, and as a Coach. He has extensive experience with School Discipline, PBIS, SEL, Restorative Practices, MTSS, and Trauma-Informed Care.
You, my teacher friend, are the definition of busy.
I could list all of the things that fill your time…but this article would turn into the “Great American Novel” real quick!
So I won’t do that. Let’s just accept that you are busy and you’re doing the best that you can. This means that the behavior management strategies you’ve created are largely out of necessity. You need your students to behave because you simply don’t have the time to waste.
Let’s also give that same grace to your colleagues. They’re busy too. They’ve created behavior management strategies that suit them and their needs. They had to.
But these solutions born out of necessity have presented your students and the school as a whole with a problem. You lack consistency between classrooms.
Those rules, structures, routines, and procedures can’t carry over to the hallway, cafeteria, library, gymnasium, or auditorium. Your colleagues, your students, and your school need a consistent behavior management plan.
That’s why schools are structuring their behavior management plans around the term “CHAMPS”.
CHAMPS stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success. It is a proactive approach to classroom management that helps teachers create a positive and productive learning environment.
The acronym helps teachers to focus on the following elements of classroom management:
The teacher sets the tone for the classroom by modeling appropriate conversation skills, such as speaking in a quiet voice and listening attentively. This is where you want to define things like voice level and create consistent language that can be replicated throughout the school.
Your students need to know that silent, partner, and group voice levels mean the same thing everywhere in your building. That starts in the classroom.
The teacher makes it clear how students can get help if they need it. This could include providing clear instructions, offering one-on-one assistance, or creating a system for students to ask questions.
This could be as simple as “Raise your hand if you have any questions”.
Or it could be more specific like my standing rule during independent work that students “ask two before me”. This was my expectation that students would ask their shoulder partners for clarifications on directions if they missed something.
Without this, I would spend crucial time repeating directions to each table instead of helping those who needed content and skill-specific assistance.
The teacher ensures that while students are engaged in appropriate activities they understand the specific expectations on those activities.
You should have different procedures for quiet reading time vs small group instruction and science labs should require different prompts than journaling. This is where a high degree of flexibility comes into play and it’s also what makes CHAMPS so easy to translate room to room.
You as a teacher have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to content. You also have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to your students. Make these your own and set your students up for success within the structure.
This refers to how the teacher allows students to move around the classroom in a way that is safe and appropriate for the activity. Particularly when it comes to transitions between activities you should utilize pre-corrections as a means to deter possible distractions.
By mastering classroom management skills like this one, teachers can deter many issues before they ever begin. This also applies to everyday activities such as arrival and dismissal.
The teacher provides opportunities for all students to participate in activities and discussions. That participation should look different for each activity.
Should students be taking notes? Should they be discussing the content with a shoulder buddy? Students need to know the level of participation that is expected of them.
The teacher celebrates student success and provides positive reinforcement. This can be done with rewards but more often than not simple praise is sufficient for motivating students in the classroom.
When students meet the expectations, let them know they have! Thank them for helping create a better learning environment for everyone. It can be as simple as a fist bump or a high-five!
Ok…you probably now agree that the CHAMPS acronym is a helpful tool for improving classroom management…but weren’t we discussing behavior management? Yes! Let’s dive into why this process carries over outside of your classroom.
There are many reasons why schools should use CHAMPS to improve behavior management.
Here are five of the most relevant reasons that schools choose CHAMPS:
CHAMPS is a proactive approach to behavior management. It focuses on preventing problems before they happen, rather than reacting to problems after they have occurred.
This can help to reduce the amount of time that teachers spend dealing with misbehavior, and it can also help to create a more positive and productive learning environment. That consistency allows the conditions for learning to not just be present in one classroom, but all classrooms.
CHAMPS is a positive approach to behavior management. It focuses on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior.
This can help to build positive relationships between students and teachers, and it can also help to motivate students to behave appropriately.
This also serves as a reinforcement for teachers as they hear the language that their colleagues use and feel more comfortable prompting or redirecting students in the same manner.
CHAMPS is a flexible approach to behavior management. It can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. This makes it a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of settings.
CHAMPS is a sustainable approach to behavior management. It does not require a lot of time or resources to implement. This means that it can be used by schools of all sizes and budgets.
An underrated benefit of CHAMPS is that ensures that the teacher doesn’t forget to communicate expectations. By going through the acronym, you're ensuring that you're covering all of your bases.
The more you use the program, the more you communicate it with your students and the better you get at communicating those expectations. That’s the kind of edge a new teacher could use!
CHAMPS can be a great resource for all schools, but it is particularly suited for younger students. Utilizing CHAMPS as the base for your elementary behavior rubric can lead to some great results.
For example, Del Valle Elementary School was able to reduce referrals by 82%! You can see their behavior rubric here and more details on their plan here.
The CHAMPS system is based on the idea that by focusing on those six elements, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment where students are more likely to behave appropriately.
CHAMPS is a flexible tool that can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. By using CHAMPS as the basis for their behavior rubrics, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment for all students.
Here are some additional tips for using the CHAMPS system effectively:
The more consistent you are with the CHAMPS system, the more effective it will be.
Focus on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior. CHAMPS works great in conjunction with other positive approaches like PBIS. If your district has adopted PBIS, CHAMPS can be a great way to mold those positive behavioral intervention strategies to the unique needs of your students and your building.
Be willing to adapt the CHAMPS system to meet the needs of your students and your classroom.
It takes time to see the benefits of the CHAMPS system. Don't give up if you don't see results immediately.
As you review your plans or draft new ones, always remember your goal when designing behavior management protocols: what conditions must be met in order for learning to happen?
With CHAMPS, you have the ability to define those conditions from classroom to classroom and beyond.
Keep your plan centered around that. Keep the main thing, the main thing! That’s how you really get the most out of your behavior management plan.
You, my teacher friend, are the definition of busy.
I could list all of the things that fill your time…but this article would turn into the “Great American Novel” real quick!
So I won’t do that. Let’s just accept that you are busy and you’re doing the best that you can. This means that the behavior management strategies you’ve created are largely out of necessity. You need your students to behave because you simply don’t have the time to waste.
Let’s also give that same grace to your colleagues. They’re busy too. They’ve created behavior management strategies that suit them and their needs. They had to.
But these solutions born out of necessity have presented your students and the school as a whole with a problem. You lack consistency between classrooms.
Those rules, structures, routines, and procedures can’t carry over to the hallway, cafeteria, library, gymnasium, or auditorium. Your colleagues, your students, and your school need a consistent behavior management plan.
That’s why schools are structuring their behavior management plans around the term “CHAMPS”.
CHAMPS stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success. It is a proactive approach to classroom management that helps teachers create a positive and productive learning environment.
The acronym helps teachers to focus on the following elements of classroom management:
The teacher sets the tone for the classroom by modeling appropriate conversation skills, such as speaking in a quiet voice and listening attentively. This is where you want to define things like voice level and create consistent language that can be replicated throughout the school.
Your students need to know that silent, partner, and group voice levels mean the same thing everywhere in your building. That starts in the classroom.
The teacher makes it clear how students can get help if they need it. This could include providing clear instructions, offering one-on-one assistance, or creating a system for students to ask questions.
This could be as simple as “Raise your hand if you have any questions”.
Or it could be more specific like my standing rule during independent work that students “ask two before me”. This was my expectation that students would ask their shoulder partners for clarifications on directions if they missed something.
Without this, I would spend crucial time repeating directions to each table instead of helping those who needed content and skill-specific assistance.
The teacher ensures that while students are engaged in appropriate activities they understand the specific expectations on those activities.
You should have different procedures for quiet reading time vs small group instruction and science labs should require different prompts than journaling. This is where a high degree of flexibility comes into play and it’s also what makes CHAMPS so easy to translate room to room.
You as a teacher have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to content. You also have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to your students. Make these your own and set your students up for success within the structure.
This refers to how the teacher allows students to move around the classroom in a way that is safe and appropriate for the activity. Particularly when it comes to transitions between activities you should utilize pre-corrections as a means to deter possible distractions.
By mastering classroom management skills like this one, teachers can deter many issues before they ever begin. This also applies to everyday activities such as arrival and dismissal.
The teacher provides opportunities for all students to participate in activities and discussions. That participation should look different for each activity.
Should students be taking notes? Should they be discussing the content with a shoulder buddy? Students need to know the level of participation that is expected of them.
The teacher celebrates student success and provides positive reinforcement. This can be done with rewards but more often than not simple praise is sufficient for motivating students in the classroom.
When students meet the expectations, let them know they have! Thank them for helping create a better learning environment for everyone. It can be as simple as a fist bump or a high-five!
Ok…you probably now agree that the CHAMPS acronym is a helpful tool for improving classroom management…but weren’t we discussing behavior management? Yes! Let’s dive into why this process carries over outside of your classroom.
There are many reasons why schools should use CHAMPS to improve behavior management.
Here are five of the most relevant reasons that schools choose CHAMPS:
CHAMPS is a proactive approach to behavior management. It focuses on preventing problems before they happen, rather than reacting to problems after they have occurred.
This can help to reduce the amount of time that teachers spend dealing with misbehavior, and it can also help to create a more positive and productive learning environment. That consistency allows the conditions for learning to not just be present in one classroom, but all classrooms.
CHAMPS is a positive approach to behavior management. It focuses on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior.
This can help to build positive relationships between students and teachers, and it can also help to motivate students to behave appropriately.
This also serves as a reinforcement for teachers as they hear the language that their colleagues use and feel more comfortable prompting or redirecting students in the same manner.
CHAMPS is a flexible approach to behavior management. It can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. This makes it a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of settings.
CHAMPS is a sustainable approach to behavior management. It does not require a lot of time or resources to implement. This means that it can be used by schools of all sizes and budgets.
An underrated benefit of CHAMPS is that ensures that the teacher doesn’t forget to communicate expectations. By going through the acronym, you're ensuring that you're covering all of your bases.
The more you use the program, the more you communicate it with your students and the better you get at communicating those expectations. That’s the kind of edge a new teacher could use!
CHAMPS can be a great resource for all schools, but it is particularly suited for younger students. Utilizing CHAMPS as the base for your elementary behavior rubric can lead to some great results.
For example, Del Valle Elementary School was able to reduce referrals by 82%! You can see their behavior rubric here and more details on their plan here.
The CHAMPS system is based on the idea that by focusing on those six elements, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment where students are more likely to behave appropriately.
CHAMPS is a flexible tool that can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. By using CHAMPS as the basis for their behavior rubrics, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment for all students.
Here are some additional tips for using the CHAMPS system effectively:
The more consistent you are with the CHAMPS system, the more effective it will be.
Focus on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior. CHAMPS works great in conjunction with other positive approaches like PBIS. If your district has adopted PBIS, CHAMPS can be a great way to mold those positive behavioral intervention strategies to the unique needs of your students and your building.
Be willing to adapt the CHAMPS system to meet the needs of your students and your classroom.
It takes time to see the benefits of the CHAMPS system. Don't give up if you don't see results immediately.
As you review your plans or draft new ones, always remember your goal when designing behavior management protocols: what conditions must be met in order for learning to happen?
With CHAMPS, you have the ability to define those conditions from classroom to classroom and beyond.
Keep your plan centered around that. Keep the main thing, the main thing! That’s how you really get the most out of your behavior management plan.
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