Tattletaling
Children, especially in lower elementary grades, spend a lot of time tattle-tailing on their peers. Here are a few ways to address the situation:
-Have a class discussion about tattle-tailing. Talk about what it means to tattle-tail, why we don't tattle-tail, the consequences of tattle-tailing, and emphasize the expectation that students should not tattle-tail.
-When the issue seems insignificant, the teacher should remind the student that they do not need to tattle-tail and the teacher should continue class, ignoring the issue.
-Teachers need to be conscious of tattle-tailing, regardless of the repetition. The teacher should not ignore all behavior since it may be important to take action in certain situations.
-If the student begins tattle-tailing, the teacher may hold their hand out, symbolizing a stop sign, to remind students not to tattle-tail.
-Encourage the students to talk to one another before talking to the teacher about the issue.
-Have multiple classroom discussions if tattle-tailing continues.
-One-on-one discussion with students frequently tattle-tailing may be beneficial.