Tattling versus Informing

Even at the level that I teach (which, if you didn't know from my about me post, I teach 7th and 8th graders), tattling is a very big problem. It disrupts the kiddo's day, it disrupts the learning environment, and it really isn't productive for anybody involved. Then why is it such a big problem?! So, continuing on the lesson plan of problem solving and conflict management, I bring to you tattling versus informing. I have also seen this lesson called "Emergency or Non Emergency" which I totally love, too, but don't most kids think that it is an emergency if little Johnny won't play with them on the playground?

So I made this poster chart (Note: this one is not mine, but I never got to snap a picture!) with the different ideas of what is tattling and what is informing.

We watched this short video regarding the differences between informing and tattling to help solidify what I just said to them (for my visual learners).

Then, I made these fun little guys so that we could apply what we learned to scenarios.

Aren't these great?! Obviously, not my pictures again but I used Informing, not Telling on mine.

So some of the scenarios I used were:

• She hit me. (Inform)
• He threw a pencil at me. (Inform)
• She called me a name. (Inform)
• He pushed me on the playground. (Inform)
• She wrote on the wall in the bathroom. (Inform)
• She is drawing on her paper instead of working. (Tattle)
• She looked at me funny. (Tattle)
• He cut in front of me in line. (Tattle)
• He took my pencil. (Tattle)
• She won't play with me at recess. (Tattle)

The kids would raise their little Tattle or Inform signs to show me what they thought the person was doing. I might even use this another way by having the kids come up to me and say these things! Maybe draw them out of a hat and act out the scenario. LOVE IT! 

Obviously, there are tons of ways to do this lesson. I love the topic because it is so relevant.