Tattling

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Home : 2004 : November : 14

Tattling
By Michelle Murphy

hi,
I was just in the same quandry. I use the no blood , no fire rule but with some modifications that address all of the concerns you listed. I tell my third graders that if they are not bleeding on fire or no one has
said a bad word then they are to write it in the tattle book and I will read it at the end of the day.
The spiral notebook that serves as the tattle book stays on the back table next to the pencil basket at all times. My kids can get up to write in it whenever they feel the need, but they are still responsible for what we are learning while they are writing.
On Friday's we have a class

meeting and anyone who still fells that they need some more closure to a wrong done to them over the week may speak. But, the complaint must be in the tattle book for it to be brought up. That keeps it from becoming a free for all. I have found that most of my kids just want to get it out and then they are fine. they don't really want to discuss it anymore. they just want to know that I know. It works really well and is very easy. the first day I used it I could barely get it to the table before there were kids waiting to write. It is also a great way to get kids who never write to write something. I have one child who will write NOTHING, but he spent 15 minutes writing a full page about something someone had done to him.