Scoop Alert!
Posted by Diane Badden on 10 Jun 2010 | Posted in: Drawings and Giveaways, The Mailbox Books
Wow! Have I got a scoop for you!
Wait for it…wait for it…Sizzle, sizzle pop!
Early next week, 15 brand-new The Mailbox books are being released! Now, I may be a teeny bit partial to The Mailbox publications. You’d expect that, right? But I’m being as impartial as I can when I say, “These books are awesome!” In fact, I’m positive you’d love to have one of these books in your collection. So I searched my treasure box, and guess what I found: two free book coupons! This means two blog readers can each choose and receive a brand-new book without spending a dime.
Now, how do you get your name in our free book drawing? There are several ways! You can tell us how you keep a handle on your school-related paperwork by responding to “Paperwork SOS“—that gets you one entry. You can respond to this blog post (see topic below)—that gets a second entry. And you can respond to any blog post I publish next week! (That might get you two, three, or four more entries!) All comments made through June 20 will be entered in the drawing. We’ll announce the lucky winners on Monday, June 21. I’m so excited! I hope you are too!
Smiles!
Diane
Topic: How do you discourage tattling, bullying, and other negative classroom behaviors?
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84 Responses to “Scoop Alert!”
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More Comments Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 » Show All Comments
In first grade, tattling can be a big problem. At the beginning of the year, I explain to students reasons why you should tattle, and provide them with examples of situations. I also had a “conflict journal” in which the students would write down what had happened that upset them, or something that was bothering them.
We have a great councelor who teaches a lesson at the beginning of the year. He teaches by doing a skit. When he leaves he gives each teacher a copy of the skit and a poster to use. The poster has 3 questions to ask yourself before going to the teacher. When they come to me and tattle I ask them which character from the skit they are acting like. This seems to make the connection between what they learned and how they are acting.
TeddyBear Tattles…
My kids have a teddybear that they can pick up and go off quietly in another part of the room and share their tattle (and get in a quick snuggle if necessary). I have younger children so we go over what makes a tattle and what constitutes an emergency quite often.
I have a large stuffed bumblebee (my class theme is the bee). Anyway, if they need to tattle on someone they go to Miss Bee Polite and tell her. Of course if there is something major, they come tell me. It has worked great and they do not stop my groups to tattle.
In Kindergarten I try to teach the students the difference between tattling and informing. Tattling is telling what another student did. Informing is giving information about another student. Information can include if they are hurt, they are sick, or they hurt someone. Over the year students become better at telling what is important.
I try to redirect the children. But that does not always work so on occassions } have asked them to draw a pic and then fold it up and put it in our special box for God to listen to them.
I work with the children exhaustively the first few weeks every school year to teach them the difference between tattling and reporting dangerous behavior. I let students know that dangerous behavior must be reported immediately. Things that might just be tattling should be written in a note and put in my comment basket. I also forbid gossip in my classroom. Students are not allowed to go tell ANY
ONE something that someone else said. If they do, they have to move their card and miss some recess time. It’s amazing how much the tattling goes away when there is no gossping allowed!
I have a tattle tale wall coveres with butcher paper, where my kindegartners write or draw their tattle tale.
I also have tried a tattle tale notebook where they could write or draw their complaint and they return to my desk so I can browse throught it. It is really funny to go back and see what they wrote.
I’ve used a paper cut out of an ear in the past and attached it to the wall. When a child has a tattle, I tell them to go whisper it into the “tattle ear”. The student then goes up the the ear and whispers the tattle into the ear … and the tattle is over. It works well with the younger kids … not so much with the older kids!
I use something I got from someone else a long time ago. Of course, just about everything I use is from someone else! Anyway, it’s called a plaintif/defendant chart. The students write his/her name, date and who the problem is with. Once a week, usually on Fridays we discuss it. The plaintif gets the right to speak, and the class decides what the defendant will do. Usually an apology is all that’s needed. I feel this gives the child the chance to at least acknowledge there’s a problem. The truth is thought that by the time the class meeting comes along most of the issues have been resolved.
I’m very clear though about those things that need to be taken care of right away, like bullying or hurting.
I hold a weekly class meeting. During the week, students write down problems that they have had and drop them in the meeting box. We choose a few of these slips and discuss them as a class. This really seems to hold down the bullying instances and other situations where the students might feel intimidated. We end by going around the circle and saying something nice about the person on our left/right side. It’s a great way to develop a family-like atmosphere.
Each student has a tattle ticket they may use once a day. They have to make sure it’s something important enough to tell me, because once they use it they can’t tattle again, or they will pull a stick for not following directions. It works pretty well!