Debra Rowntree

Posted on 6/29/09

Thanks for all of the great ideas! I can't wait to set up for
this year. I'll be ready for them!

On 6/29/09, NJ/4th wrote:
> I've been teaching 4th grade for five years. During my first
> year tattling drove me CRAZY! I developed the BEST system for
> tattling. I introduce The Tattle Tub during the first week of
> school. It works wonderfully and annoying tattles are a thing
> of the past!
>
> First, I gather my students to the carpet and we discuss what
> tattling means. We talk about the kinds of things you should
> report - physical and emotional bullying, witnessing someone
> cheat or steal, etc. We also provide examples of tattling.
>
> Then I show them the Tattle Tub. It's simply one of those
> large animal cracker tubs you get from Costco. I have a sign
> on it and a few small pads of paper inside. When the students
> want to tattle, they write in the pad and leave it in the tub.
> They are allowed to do this whenever they need to, but I
> encourage them to wait until I'm done with a lesson.
>
> It never fails.... For the first few weeks of school there's a
> lot of foot traffic to the Tattle Tub. I let it go, allowing
> students to do what I have taught them to do. If someone is
> abusing "the tub" I speak with them privately. Visits peter
> off after a month or two.
>
> I always read the notes and discuss them in private if
> necessary. I honestly throw most of them away because they're
> silly tattles. This year I had adifficult student who kept
> stealing students' pencils and erasers. I kept all the notes
> about him and documented the information.
>
>
> On 6/26/09, Debra Rowntree wrote:
>> Last year, as a first year teacher, I was bombarded with
>> tattling. It drove me nuts. I need a more creative way of
>> dealing with this problem.

Share This Post | Report This Post

Next Post >>

Posts on this thread, including this one