Providing a structured environment where children consistently know what to expect, is the key to classroom management. Although, specific techniques change from teacher to teacher, the common denominator is the understanding that when students are well managed, there exists a better opportunity for everyone to learn.

CHAMP is a system of management that works in every situation, as it is based on behavioral expectations. Whether the class is doing group work, seat work, centers, etc. there is a CHAMP poster or guidelines posted where expectations are discussed prior to any change. For example, one might say, "Alright, class, we are getting ready for group work. Let's go over our CHAMP expectations for group work." The class would then explain the following concepts:

C: Conversation. What should the conversation level be during this activity? Is it silence? Is it a whisper? Students must be explicitly told what is expected of them PRIOR to the expectation that they do it the way you want it!

H: Help. What do we do when we need help? This depends on the activity. If everyone is working independently, perhaps raising the hand is what is expected. If the activity is group work, one could ask a neighbor or the teacher. Depending on what is happening during that activity, you might have different expectations of how the students should ask for help.

A: Activity. What is the activity? Is it silent reading? Group work? Independent study? Collaborative projects? As you can see, the conversation level, help level, movement, and participation will differ from activity to activity. Having multiple posters or possibly a PowerPoint presentation that you could put up prior to the activity change will give the students your expectations in a way that does not cause more disruption than a change in activity usually does!

M: Movement. What you do expect them to do during this activity? If leaving the classroom, you might expect them to walk quickly, but not run. If doing group work, there might be a little movement. If working silently at their seats, movement might be zero or none. It depends on how structured you as the teacher want your class to be.

P: Participation. Hopefully, you expectation will be that no matter what the activity, everyone participates!

Discussing the consequences to behavior that differs from what you expect is mandatory when using the CHAMP system. There must be no unknowns. The students need to know what is expected, explicitly and the consequences for non-compliance. When they know these two things, there is no guess work as to how far they can push you or what they can get away with! They know in advance and while this might make them roll their eyes or want to break free, on the inside it really just makes them feel safe. You become a constant that they can depend on no matter what else happens in their lives. For many students, having one person who is consistent in what they say and what they do, makes all the difference in their lives.

This system is based on the one created by Randall Sprick, Ph.d, although I tweak it to work as I need it to. I highly encourage teachers to check out the following website for more information.

http://www.safeandcivilschools .com/

Learn more about this author, Lisa Doherty.
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