CHAMPS is a classroom management system that defines the structure of common classroom routines and procedures. Explicitly outlining the specific expectations for different tasks and activities creates more independent, responsible learners. When students know what to expect, they rise to the occasion! We use the CHAMPS acronym to show students what things should “look like and sound like” throughout the day: whole group lessons, working in small groups, working in pairs, testing, centers, arrival, dismissal, lunch, recess, walking in line, etc. Each of these situations requires a different set of behaviors, and CHAMPS breaks down how to be successful in all of them. We review and model these TONS at the beginning of the year, and then they become second nature. Here’s an example of  the CHAMPS structure for small group work in our class: