CHAMPS

CHAMPS (Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, Success)  is a classroom management program designed by Randy Sprick that focuses on being positive and proactive in the classroom in order to eliminate discipline issues before they begin.  Our school began adopting CHAMPS after Christmas break this year, and I have been working throughout the year to bring more aspects of CHAMPS into my daily routine each month.  Over Christmas Break, I created this bulletin board in the back of my room (I've mentioned before that bulletin board space in my room is very limited, but I felt that I needed to devote some of it to our CHAMPS program):

When students returned from break, we took some time to discuss CHAMPS.  I explained to them that the idea of the program is to be sure that everyone knows exactly what they need to be doing at all times.  I was very glad that I had this conversation with my students because I learned that I was actually taking a few things for granted in my class.  There were times before, that I would assume (we all know what that makes = ( ) that students knew what they were supposed to be doing at a given time, when in fact they didn't.  For example, I assumed that students knew during a lab investigation that they could ask others for help.  In actuality, many of them didn't know that they were allowed to do this.  hmmm.... I wonder why I got so many questions during labs???? DUH!  Now that we have been using the CHAMPS program for a few months, I am seeing great improvement in our daily routines in the science class.  Students are much more aware of what they need to be doing at a given time and I am finding that I have fewer minor discipline issues. 

After referring to the board in the back of the room each day for a few weeks, and then writing the different CHAMPS activity levels on the board for a few more weeks, I was beginning to get frustrated.  I felt that the program was beginning to bog down my lessons (In my science class, we change activities many times per period some days) with always having to change the different CHAMPS levels.  About a week ago, I created this Smart Board Slide that I am loving.  It has been a life and time saver for me so far.  The slide includes all of the different CHAMPS levels and a highlight box that allows me to highlight each level that we are using for a particular activity.  I can quickly move these boxes around with each activity change.  I am going to have this slide as a freebie in my TpT store this week to anyone that is already using CHAMPS, or would like to get started with the program.  Feel free to comment/ email me for more info if you are interested in hearing more about CHAMPS, or if you are using CHAMPS in your classroom now and have some ideas.