Behavior Management Tips: Tattling and More

Encourage positive behavior by using visual aides, use a Tattle Box when students have tales to tell, and avoid time-consuming attendance routines.

Poppin' Good
Each time the entire class receives a compliment from another teacher, completes their homework, or behaves particularly well, place a small scoop of un-popped popcorn in a jar. When the jar is full, have a popcorn party.

The Tattle Box Dilemma
Do your students have a problem with tattling? Put out a "Tattle Box." When students have a tale to tell, have them write it down and put it in the box. During recess or center time, have every student who put a note in the Tattle Box that day line up and take a turn telling what occurred. At first, the lines will be so long, many students will miss a good part of their recess or center time. They'll soon realize that the more tattling they do, the less time they have for fun.

Would You Sign In, Please?
Avoid time-consuming attendance routines. Write each child's name on a strip of tag board, laminate it, and glue a magnet to the back. Each day, post a question and possible answers on a whiteboard. Students "sign in" by placing their magnets in the appropriate answer column. Questions might be personal, such as, "Do you own a pet?"; trivial, such as, "What was the name of the Richie's mother on Happy Days?"; or curriculum related.

Article by Linda Starr
Education World®
Copyright © 2005 Education World