If you're a teacher looking for a consistent, positive way to manage student behavior, the CHAMPS classroom management system may be the game-changer you’ve been searching for. Developed by behavior specialists Dr. Randy Sprick and Jessica Sprick, CHAMPS is a proactive and practical classroom management model rooted in Positive Behavior Support (PBS) principles.
Whether you're a veteran teacher or just starting your journey, CHAMPS provides the structure, clarity, and consistency students need to thrive—especially in early elementary classrooms.
Plus, download a FREE game changing classroom resource: my K-2 CHAMPS classroom management icons to provide a visual for each expectation during the day.
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CHAMPS is an acronym that outlines clear expectations for student behavior during various classroom activities. Students get visual and explicit instructions of what expectations are before each activity so that they know exactly what to do to ensure success.
CHAMPS stands for:
At the front of your classroom, you'll have your CHAMPS expectations board- written vertically just like an acrostic poem. Here is an example from a third grade classroom:
Before each activity, the teacher will go over each letter/expectation to clearly outline exactly how students can get to S aka SUCCESS. Though the other letters change, S always stays the same and = success.
For K-2, or even as young as preschool, kids will need visuals to help them meet expectations. Here is an example from a 1st grade classroom using CHAMPS as a large part of their classroom management plan.
By pre-teaching these expectations for every type of activity—from independent work to group centers or lining up for recess—teachers can prevent many common behavior issues before they even arise.
At first, it may seem tedious to go over the expectations for something as simple as lining up, but students flourish when they're given expectations BEFOREHAND. Kids don't know how to meet your expectations of "quiet working" or "table team project." Expectations vary between grades and individual teachers. So show them exactly what you want! They will rise to the occasion. Over time you'll spend less and less time going over expectations, because students will know them SO WELL.
And I'll help you get started with free printable CHAMPS icons for your classroom at the bottom of this post.
CHAMPS is built on the foundation of Positive Behavior Support (PBS). PBS is a research-based framework that emphasizes teaching, modeling, and reinforcing positive behaviors rather than punishing negative ones. PBS strategies are effective across grade levels, but they are particularly transformative in K–2 classrooms. Why? Because young students are still learning how to function in structured social environments.
Here’s how PBS, and by extension CHAMPS, helps rid classrooms of unwanted behaviors:
By using a PBS approach like CHAMPS, teachers create a classroom culture that focuses on success, engagement, and emotional safety—all critical for early childhood development. To learn more about teaching social and emotional skills to young students, check out this post.
STORY TIME: From 2010-2014, I worked at a wonderful school called WISH Charter. One of the tenants of the school was for each classroom to have a CHAMPS board at the front of their room. At first, I thought it would be overkill to outline expectations before every single activity. However, I truly was converted when I saw the difference it made in how my students behaved.
All students benefited from explicit instructions. Generally, kids want to succeed! I rarely ever had to redirect my kindergartners during tasks; I would just point to the CHAMPS expectations and they knew what they were expected to do. This was transformative for some of my more challenging students who needed reminders. Instead of calling out their names and chastising them, I would redirect them quietly by pointing to the expectations, and they knew!
To help you get started, I’ve created a FREE downloadable CHAMPS classroom management visual icons specifically designed for Kindergarten through 2nd Grade. This easily works for older grades as well. Though many of my upper primary colleagues would just write the expectations instead of use the visuals.
This easy-to-use resource includes pictures for each CHAMPS classroom management category: Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, and Participation.
To use this resource you'll need:
Whether you're setting up a new classroom or revamping your current behavior plan, this resource is great to use from day one, so children know how to have success in each part of their day.
👉 [Download your free CHAMPS Classroom Management Toolkit for K–2 here]
Final Thoughts
CHAMPS classroom management is more than just a system—it’s a mindset shift that places emphasis on clarity, consistency, and compassion. By setting clear expectations and teaching students how to meet them, you’re not just managing behavior—you’re building a positive, productive learning environment where every child can succeed.
If you're ready to create a more structured and supportive classroom, give CHAMPS a try—and don’t forget to grab your free download!