In case I haven't mentioned it, my class this year is extremely immature. I've never had so many kids that still suck their thumbs, display a total lack of listening skills, and repeatedly do the same things over and over and over again, despite being told not to.
And we can't forget to add tattling to that list. Sure, tattling in grade school is like the kilt in Scotland -- ever present, but never welcome -- but I have one little girl this year that takes things to the extreme.
This little girl is constantly tattling about someone or something. And apparently, to anyone who will listen. A few weeks ago, her class was entering the cafeteria for lunch, and I exited through the other cafeteria door, behind her class, so she was not aware that I was standing there. I actually witnessed her tattle on one of her classmates to some random woman walking down the hall. Probably some poor second-grader's mother, just minding her own business, suddenly accosted by a little girl claiming, "Excuse me, Miss, he just hit me!" Of course, this random woman was able to do what I always wish I COULD do. She kept her eyes straight ahead, and just kept on walking.
Now if I could just convince her to tattle to inanimate objects, such as the water fountain or the eraser on her pencil, then maybe I could save all of us a lot of grief.
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6 comments:
Arg! Hate tattlers! Thanks for giving me fodder for my own blog this morning!
I tend to hate on the tattlers, too. I used to tell them "Tell me some of the GOOD things others are doing."
You could try the 3 B's- blood, bathroom or barf- if it doesn't fall into one of those categories, you don't want to hear about it.
Yea, my rule for my kids is that unless it will hurt someone or themselves I don't want to hear about it. Remind them of the rules, instead. It helps but still doens't completely eliminate the behavior. Darn it all.
When my daughter was in 2nd grade, her teacher had a cartoon drawing of "Mr. Tuttle" hanging in the corner.
Whenever a kid would tattle tale the teacher would say "I don't listen to tattling... go tell Mr. Tuttle"
My daughter spent lots of time talking to Mr. Tuttle that year!
You might also try a tattling clipboard. Tell the kids to write it down, since you really don't have time to listen right now.
When the page gets full throw it away. When I taught 2nd grade I had a class like yours, couldn't read or write worth a flip but sure knew how to tattle.
Every 3 days I throw away the incomprehensible page of tattles and give them a fresh sheet.
You CAN get her to tattle to inanimate objects!!! I'm a substitute teacher this year (until my PRaxis scores come back), and apparantly I'm a tattle magnet. I tried the "mind your own business" routine. Didn't work. Here's what you do. You can either buy a puppet, or draw one and laminate it, of a little old lady. Then you tell the kids that "Miss Tattle' is a new member of our class. Since I'm very busy during the day I can't listen to all the tattles, but if you tell them to MIss Tattle, she'll fill me in at the end of the day. That usually works with K-1....wtih the older kids, have them write their tattle on a piece of paper and put it in a "tattle box" (shoe box or something), then you can read them (or not) at the end of the day. Of course, you have to explain the difference between annoying tattling and really important stuff (like someone hurting someone). Oh, and reading "the boy who cried wolf" is a great activity for warding off tattling (the more you tattle about little things, the more likely I am to not believe you when it's something really important).
Good luck!
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