Intermediate Grade 4-6
Telling or Ratting
Ratting (betraying, deserting or informing on one’s associates) or Telling (informing, making known, speaking up)
Yes, we want students to speak up when they see bullying or vandalism occurring in their school.
But
Do your students know the difference between ratting and telling?
Would any of you struggle with the decision to report a student who was threatening someone with a knife to the authorities? I doubt it. There is a reason for this---we have a conscience that, in general terms, tells us the difference between right and wrong. Students need to be taught when and under what circumstances they have the responsibility to report certain actions to their teacher or parents. There is a definite difference between ratting and telling. We need to discourage one and encourage the other.
Reporting a bullying situation is not getting someone into trouble. The bully’s own behavior gets him\her into trouble. Bullies tend to intimidate those who are aware of their inappropriate behavior and they try to reverse their responsibility by blaming someone else by calling them a rat.
We designed a PDF with different scenarios
Print off a sheet for each student and allow them to answer the questions by themselves. After everyone is finished have a class discussion of what is tattling or ratting and what is telling.
Yes, we want students to speak up when they see bullying or vandalism occurring in their school.
But
Do your students know the difference between ratting and telling?
Would any of you struggle with the decision to report a student who was threatening someone with a knife to the authorities? I doubt it. There is a reason for this---we have a conscience that, in general terms, tells us the difference between right and wrong. Students need to be taught when and under what circumstances they have the responsibility to report certain actions to their teacher or parents. There is a definite difference between ratting and telling. We need to discourage one and encourage the other.
Reporting a bullying situation is not getting someone into trouble. The bully’s own behavior gets him\her into trouble. Bullies tend to intimidate those who are aware of their inappropriate behavior and they try to reverse their responsibility by blaming someone else by calling them a rat.
We designed a PDF with different scenarios
Print off a sheet for each student and allow them to answer the questions by themselves. After everyone is finished have a class discussion of what is tattling or ratting and what is telling.
Telling or Ratting
Character Education Lessons
