CHAMPS in My Classroom

 

Behavior Board in My Classroom

As the year is coming to an end {15 1/2 days, but who's counting?} I've been very pleased with my group. I'm very pleased with our entire 3rd grade. We had "the group" ~ you know what I'm talking about. The group that the Kinder teachers warned the 1st grade teachers about, 1st ran and told 2nd to watch out, we've watched them as 3rd grade teachers and thought, really? the FCAT with these sweethearts??!!  

Then at the beginning of this year we had two teachers leave and two other teachers move to our grade level from other grades. We then used this time of change to start Teaming. Two teachers taught Math and two taught Reading. I wasn't too sure I wanted to do this, I love the Daily Five, but agreed to do Math and Science. We have a new principal, I adore her, so if it is what she thinks will work, I'm all in! After all this change, it was time to really, really, really work on behavior. We had a lot of "adults" ~ a lot of "leaders" ~ you know what I mean, too many bosses, not enough employees. A perfect example, we would send two children to the bathroom from the playground, after a few minutes, they were not back. Turns out, one wanted a band aid so they went on their own and without permission to the clinic, in addition to swinging by their old second grade room to say hello to their past teacher and the kindergarten building to wave hello to a younger sibling....we really had to crack down on "being a student" and "let me be the teacher" since most of the group really enjoyed talking back and telling others what to do, right or wrong. 

Champs was wonderful in setting standards for EVERYONE, fair, equal and positive. I teach Math and Science for two hours, lunch and then Math and Science to my next group. If you have not heard of CHAMPS, the basic starting point is that it is about telling the students the classroom expectations in advanced. AND...review these standards before every lesson. CHAMPS stand for ~

C = Conversation

H = Help

A = Activity

M = Movement

P - Participation

S= Success!

When you first read the book or go to training, there are a lot of different things for each category, but I found that I only need two choices for each.

C = Conversation

0 No Talking {When I am giving direct instruction.}

2 Inside Voice {When I am working with small groups and the students are in centers.}

H = Help

Raise Your Hand {When I am giving direct instruction.}

Ask 3 Then Me {When I am working with small groups and the students are in centers, they need to ask 3 other students first, then interrupt me at small group. Very rarely will they have to interrupt the teacher.} This definitely needs to be role played at the start because you will have some that can't wait to "ask 3!"

A = Activity

Listen {When I am giving direct instruction.}

Learning {When I am working with small groups and the students are in centers.}

M = Movement

None {When I am giving direct instruction.}

Restroom {When I am working with small groups and the students are in centers, they may not go from center to center, but they may go to the restroom without asking.}

P - Participation

Everyone {This never changes.}

S= Success!

I wrote these on colored sentence strips at the start of the year with the intention of making them on PowerPoint with wonderful graphics, laminate them and having the board look amazing....yep, May 14th and the sentence strips are still there and still working! The pink sentence strips have writing on each side and are in place with two clear thumb tacks. When I am ready to transition from direct instruction to center work, I read/review the chart with the students and then flip the card to the other side. So 0 No Talking turns over to 2 Inside Voice, while I'm reviewing the chart.

Later this week I'll write about the other side, how I use a "Flip Your Card" to be a POSITIVE behavior chart in my classroom.  

Remember, it may be the end of the year for you, but if the kids are getting out of hand and you are EXHAUSTED, it is NEVER too late to introduce a new plan. The students need structure and you need peace! :)

Running out of things to do? Having a hard time with lesson plans?

Check out my TPT or my TN Store for wonderful Center Games that are student directed. Get everyone busy and get some of that end of the year paperwork DONE!