Weekly Challenge

A few weeks ago I started a "Weekly Challenge" in my room. A little late in the year, sure, but oh well.

Each Monday, I post a new challenge, usually math related, and students have until Friday morning to take a guess. I make extra copies of worksheets so students can work at their desk (unless it's an estimation problem). I cut index cards into thirds, and that's where I have them write their name and answer. Once they have a guess, they put their answer in an old tissue box.

Some of the challenges I make myself, some I've found online, and some are just logic worksheets.

On Friday, I take out all the wrong answers and draw one winner from among the right answers. If it was estimation, I choose the closest answer. The winner gets something small as a prize, such as a mechanical pencil, eraser, homework pass, or small toy (play-dough, mini-slinky). When I did the goldfish estimation, the prize was the goldfish.

I put together some of my challenges into a PDF, as it's listed for free at Teachers Pay Teachers. You can download it by clicking here and going to the website.

CHAMPS

CHAMPS is a classroom management technique used at my school. It sets expectations for students for various activities. CHAMPS stand for

Conversation: Can students talk to each other during this activity?
Help: How do students get the teacher's attention and their questions answered?
Activity: What is the task/objective? What is the end product?
Movement: Can students move about during this activity?
Participation: How do students show they are fully participating? What does work behavior look/sound like?
Success: When students meet CHAMPS expectations, they will be successful!

 I changed it up a little bit for my own classroom. For my class, CHAMPS set expectations for

Conversation
Help
Activity
Movement
Post-Activity (What should students do with their assignment when they are finished?)
Supplies (What supplies are needed for this activity?)

I have a CHAMPS board on display in my room. Prior to each activity, I explain the expectations and update the CHAMPS board. Because I do this regularly, my students will remind me if I forget. It really helps them to have a visual reminder.

Jealous of my ugly brown paneling? Of course you are...

So all I have to do is change the strip for that expectation.

The conversation level can be:

• No Talking
• Whisper
• Low Voices

To get help, it may say

• Ask group then raise hand
• Raise hand
• Kidney Table (which is where students go for small groups)

The activity might be

• Individual work
• Group work
• Partners
• Lab
• Test / Quiz

Movement options are

• Stay in your seat
• Stay in your group
• Trashcan and pencil sharpener
• Move around

When students are done with their work, they will

• Keep it
• Turn it in to the Inbox
• Other (I may have some other place I want them to put their work)

Supplies lets students know if they are using

• Pen
• Pencil
• Red Pen
• Supply Boxes (markers, color pencils, etc)
• Glue / Scissors
• Book
• Journal

So if a student asks what to do with their paper, I simply say, "What does CHAMPS say?"
If a student asks if they are supposed to write in pen or pencil (this was for my 5th graders), I say, "What does CHAMPS say?"
After a while, they get the point. Sometimes they'll start to ask me, then turn around and look at the board, because they know that's what I'm going to tell them to do. :-)

Next to my CHAMPS board is a door where I tell students what they are allowed to do when they are finished with their work. I printed out signs, laminated them, and put magnetic tape on the back. It makes it easy to switch out options.

These are my go-to activities that are almost always up. Sometimes, though, I take down VersaTiles depending on how quiet I want to keep it, such as for tests. Other things I may put up are Beat The Clock (to practice math facts), flash cards, acrostic poems (I give them a word), ABC lists (I give them a topic), and probably some others I can't think of right now. My kids know that drawing is never an option, though they sometimes like to see if I've forgotten my own rule.

Now I'm Done is a drawer where I put fun (and usually educational) worksheets. It may have math problems (line designs are popular, and the ones where you solve the problem to determine what color you shade a piece in - I don't remember what they're called), creative writing, using dictionaries, patterns, word searches, etc. Basically, whatever I can find. I don't give bonus points; I don't even check them. Students turn them in to the inbox so I can see what they've done, then I send them right back home with them.