CHAMPS and your classroom screen

By David · Founder & Editor, MyClassScreen

CHAMPS works when students know what each part of the lesson should look and sound like before they start. You can post a slide or anchor chart — and many teachers do — but anchor charts are static. A CHAMPS classroom screen updates as the activity changes: silent writing looks different from partner talk, and your projected board can show that shift without reprinting posters.

This guide maps each CHAMPS letter to widgets you already have on a free classroom board. No special CHAMPS software required.

Printables: CHAMPS cue cards · Volume matrix poster · related hub: Digital voice-level display

C — Conversation (voice levels)

Conversation is the letter teachers re-teach most often. "What voice level is this activity?" If the answer lives only in your head, students will guess wrong.

Use the traffic light: green for normal collaborative talk, yellow for whisper, red for silent. Toggle it when you shift from mini-lesson to independent work. Pair it with the noise meter during group tasks so volume is visible, not personal ("you are too loud" becomes "the meter is in yellow").

Write a one-line CHAMPS cue in the text widget: "Conversation: whisper to partner only." Change the line when the activity changes — that is the CHAMPS practice of defining expectations per activity, not once per year.

H — Help (how to get assistance)

CHAMPS asks you to define how students request help during each activity. "Raise hand and stay seated" during a test; "Ask your table first, then me" during group work.

Put the Help line on the same text widget as Conversation. Some teachers add a small name picker for "question of the day" so help-seeking is structured — one student shares a stuck point, you answer for the group, others listen. That reduces twelve simultaneous hand raises.

A — Activity (what students are doing)

Activity is the task itself. CHAMPS fails when the written activity on the board does not match what you actually assigned. Keep the text widget updated: "Activity: draft introduction paragraph" beats "Writing time."

Add a classroom timer labeled with the same activity name. When the bar ends, Activity changes — students learn to watch the board for phase shifts. For younger grades or ADHD supports, the visual timer progress bar makes Activity duration tangible.

M — Movement (where bodies may go)

Movement expectations prevent the "can I get a drink?" loop during silent reading. CHAMPS might say "Movement: seated unless you have a pass" for one block and "Movement: rotate to next station when timer ends" for another.

Station rotation is where a timer plus group maker shine. Generate teams once, post station numbers in the text widget, and run a timed rotation. Movement happens on the clock, not when the loudest group decides they are done.

For whole-class Movement breaks, a short five-minute timer labeled "Stretch break" sets a clear end. Traffic light back to red when break ends signals Conversation and Movement both changed.

P — Participation (how to engage)

Participation defines response mode: thumbs up, written response, choral reply, or individual whiteboard. Middle and high school teachers might add "Participation: Socratic — one speaker, others track."

The random name picker supports fair Participation during discussions. Remove names after selection if you want everyone called once before repeats. A live poll gives quiet students a Participation path that does not require speaking aloud — useful when Conversation is silent but you still need evidence of thinking.

S — Success (what finished looks like)

Success is the exit criteria. "Success: thesis statement circled and notebook open to homework section." When Success is vague, students stop early or work past the bell arguing they are done.

List Success criteria in the text widget before you start the timer. Optionally use a two-minute warning timer for "finish your sentence" before the final countdown. Students with executive function challenges especially need Success spelled out on the board, not only spoken once.

Sample board for one 45-minute block

Mini-lesson (10 min): Text widget with CHAMPS lines — Conversation silent, Help raise hand, Activity note-taking, Movement seated, Participation track speaker, Success one example in notebook. Traffic light red.

Partner work (15 min): Conversation yellow on traffic light, noise meter visible, timer labeled "Partner practice," group maker teams already assigned. Text widget updated for Help and Success.

Independent exit ticket (5 min): Timer, traffic light red, text widget shows Success criteria for the ticket.

Save the layout as "Period 2 CHAMPS template" and duplicate for other classes. Read help on templates if you have not saved boards yet.

CHAMPS with PBIS

Many schools run PBIS school-wide and CHAMPS in the classroom. The same projected tools support both. See our PBIS classroom screen article for matrix language and tier-friendly routines.