One of the most important things to remember is that students do not tattle because they want to get on your nerves or make you angry. They do it because they are trying to communicate something with you and they don't know how else to do it. Our job is to teach them the RIGHT way to communicate what it is they need say and sometimes that is learning that not everything
needs to be communicated.
As with the first two parts in this series, most of these ideas are things I have discovered in my years of teaching, on Teachers Pay Teachers, or Pinterest. I will share links to blogs, sites, and TPT shops where necessary.
Tootling is actually the opposite of tattling. The point is to hopefully encourage students to write positive things about their classmates instead of coming to you with negative things. The goal is to reduce kids coming to you to tell on students and encourage them to look for the positive things. All you need is a board like the one pictured below and students write positive notes on their own time to the sticky notes.
One of the best ways we can reduce tattling is to explicitly teach students the difference between tattling and reporting. Provide them with a visible chart and discuss. Have students come up with more examples. Have students sort examples until they really understand what tattling is and is NOT. Here is a great poster from my sweet friend Lindsay Flood! You can download this free poster by clicking the image below.
The tattle box is simple...have a box placed somewhere in your classroom where students can write their tattles. This way, you don't have to have kids interrupt your instruction time. Of course, you need to make sure you have discussed tattling v. reporting. If you see that a certain student's name keeps appearing in the box, you can pull them aside and have a little conversation. This also goes for the student who is abusing the tattle box. Use your teacher discretion. I have also seen this called the Tattle Monster. You can decorate your box and call it whatever your little teacher heart desires.
Similar to the tattle box, sometimes students just need an outlet to communicate. Placing a Tattle journal or notebook somewhere in your room and letting students go to write down their issues during their own time can be a great way to help students channel their urge to tattle.
There are some great read alouds out there to help you get started when teaching your students about tattling. Tattle Tongue is one of my favorites! Stories by Storie has an awesome book companion that you can purchase to go with this book.
She also has a great sorting freebie pictured below that you can download on her blog. Head over by clicking below.
Another book for teaching about tattling is called Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal. You can view it on YouTube by clicking below.
I saw this idea from Teach Love and Iced Coffee on Instagram last week and I thought it was just the cutest! It is sort of a spin on the Tattle box. Display this cute little bulletin board. Students write their "drama" on little cards and give it to the llama! I mean, WHAT?! How cute is that? Who doesn't love llamas?! You can snag this adorable bulletin board set by clicking the image below!
I hope you were able to learn some new tips for Tackling those Tattlers! Join me later this week for learning some new tricks for teaching kids how to listen and follow directions. What are your favorite strategies for Tackling Tattlers?
Part 6 {Classroom Organization}
Thanks for including my tattling resources!
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