Using CHAMPs classroom management system by Randy Sprick

CHAMPS

CLASSROOM Management: CHAMPS

The work of Randy Sprick, Mickey Garrison and Lisa M. Howard entitled "CHAMPS" assists classroom teachers with a proactive design for effective and positive classroom management that overtly teaches students responsible behavior. Implementation of the strategies provided in the CHAMPS book will assist the teacher in reduction of classroom disruptions and referrals of students to the office as well as bringing about an improvement in the climate of the learning environment. Furthermore, CHAMPS assists in an increase in on-task behavior of students and the establishment of interactions that are both civil and respectful. (Sprick, Garrison, and Howard, 2007 There are five major components of CHAMPS which are those of:

Conversation

Help

Activity

Movement

Participation (Sprick, Garrison, and Howard, 2007)

Stated as the key benefits of CHAMPS are that teachers are able to establish expectations that are clear and logical and provide response to misbehavior that are of a fair nature. Teachers will also spend less time with discipline and more time in the practice of teaching. Students are motivated by teachers to perform at their best level and as well students will learn responsible behavior. (Sprick, Garrison, and Howard, 2007

I. The FIVE COMPONENTS of CHAMPS

The work of Rob Bressi entitled: "CHAMPs: Proactive and Positive Classroom Management" states that the basic beliefs of the CHAMPs program are: (1) the way a setting is structured has a huge impact on behavior and attitude; (2) Students should be overtly taught how to be successful in every class situation; (3) Punitive consequences have inherent an inescapable drawbacks including: (a) escape/avoidance; (b) sneaking; - lying; (d) fear; (e) becoming neutral; (f) becoming reinforcing; and (g) can set a negative climate and yet punitive consequences, while stopping a behavior, do not actually change the behavior. (4) More time attention, and energy should be focused on acknowledge responsible behavior than responding to misbehavior; (5) responses to misbehavior should be preplanned to ensure that the response is brief, calm and consistent; (6) the goal of classroom management is to develop a classroom of students who are highly responsible, motivated and highly engaged in meaningful tasks. (Bressi, nd)

II. ACTIONS to BE TAKEN by TEACHER

Actions that Bressi states the teacher should take include the following:

1) Develop and post 'Guidelines for Success' which should include the most important skills, attitudes or traits needed by students to assist them in being successful in the classroom. These should be listed in hierarchical order from the most to the least important and then these should be posted in the classroom. (Bressi, nd) Suggested Guidelines for Success include: (a) be responsible; (b) Always try; - Do your best; (d) Cooperate; and (e) Treat everyone with dignity and respect. (Bressi, nd) These guidelines can be used as the basis for:

Positive feedback

Corrections

Class-wide discussions

Monthly themes

Assignments

Celebrations of progress

Guest speakers

It is necessary that the teacher: "Explain to the students what they can do to ensure their success in the classroom. These instructions should be both "specific and brief." (Bressi, nd) Secondly, the teacher should

2) Develop an attention signal. (Bressi, nd) (a) the most effective signals can be used in any location; and (b) decide on a reasonable length of time between giving students the signal and gaining the attention of all students. (Bressi, nd)

3) Design rules that communicate the most important expectations and post these in a prominent place in the classroom. If these rule are considered 'negotiable' in that these rules will be worked out with the cooperation of students be sure that these rules are predetermined in the mind of the teacher that are needed for effective teaching. It is important to choose rules that are "specific, observable and stated positively." (Bressi, nd) (a) Avoid having in excess of five rules. Suggested rules for the classroom are: (a) arrive prepared; (b) follow directions immediately; - work during work times; and (d) keep to yourself. (Bressi, nd)

4) Develop consequences for common rule infractions and be sure to (a) Fit to the nature of the problem; (b) implement calmly and consistently; and -implement as immediately as possible and in the setting in which the infraction occurs. (Bressi, nd)

5) Design routines for the following: (a) Attendance/tardiness procedures; (b)Heading papers; - Assigning work; (d) Homework; (e) Late work; (f) Brining materials to and from class; and (g) Collecting work

6) Prepare lessons on behavioral expectations for each major activity. It is necessary to "identify critical content: 'What do students need to now in order to behave responsibly?" (Bressi, nd) Be sure to make each activity clear in terms of: (a) Conversation; (b) Help; - Activity; (d) Movement; and (f) Participation. (Bressi, nd) Bressi states that in the use of CHAMPS there is a worksheet that teachers may use of preparing lessons for teaching and for reviewing expectations regarding instructional activity. (Bressi, nd) Bressi states that activities that might be included in lesson activities are those as follows:

Lecture

Modeling

T-charts developed by students

Role play

Discussion

CHAMPs Activity: 10 minutes

Plan for Two activities a) Most used; and b) Most problematic (Bressi, nd)

The Champs Classroom Activity Sheet is shown in the following figure

CHAMPs Classroom Activity Worksheet

Activity:

Conversation

Can students engage in conversations with each other during this activity? If yes, about what? With whom: How many students can be involved in a single conversation? How long can the conversation last?

Help

How do students get questions answered? How do students get your attention? If students have to wait for help, what should they do while they wait?

Activity

What is the expected end product of this activity?

Movement

Can students get out of their seats during this activity? If yes, acceptable reasons include:

Pencil

Drink

Restroom

Hand in / pick up materials

Participation

What behaviors show that students are participating fully and responsibly?

What behaviors show that a student is not participating?