It seems like every day there is an endless stream of students reporting behaviors or incidents that happen in the classroom. On one hand, we want to help our students feel heard and validated so they know we are a safe person for them to talk to. On the other hand, we certainly don't want to feed into the tattle machine. It's a fine line to walk. So how do we handle tattling in our classrooms?

Every English language arts teacher needs a variety of successful, student led discussion strategies that will provide opportunities for student learning.

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If you have followed the discussion over the past years about "21st Century Skills" or have been on this planet long enough, you know that the ability to work with others is just as important as any "content" knowledge that we, as teachers, can provide. That being said, working "cooperatively" is NOT natural for all people, especially young children, and we have to make sure we are thoughtful about how we help students learn this valuable skill. Today I thought I'd share three key things to keep in mind--and then offer a few suggestions to get your brain thinking about ways to incorporate more learning partnerships in YOUR classroom! Partnerships are the perfect "starting point" for cooperative work! Think about how difficult it is for us, as adults, to get 4 or 5 of us to agree and be productive! Young students simply haven't been around long enough to know how to do that "delicate dance" of sharing, contributing, listening, and more. Learning how to actively listen is easier with just one other person. Sharing with just one person is so much easier for student who are more shy--and it's easier to have a back and forth conversation than try to balance several people. As students become accustomed to working with pairs, then it becomes easier to add people to the group. When forming partnerships, be mindful of your students' feelings. Be careful about the "find a partner" direction--because that is SO difficult for so many students. Whether they be shy, slower thinkers, worried about other students' feelings--asking students to form partners on the fly is often a tricky situation. Think about those who struggle finding partners and make sure everything is safe for them. Ideas? Use a "people picker" like popsicle sticks or index cards. Premake partnerships whenever possible (in addition to avoiding popularity contests, this allows you to encourage students to work with MANY other students, not just best friends). If you DO have students pick partners at times, consider a disclaimer, "If you don't find a partner in 15 seconds, come to me." so you can quickly help pair off those last few students. My students get very used to working with EVERYONE in the class (males, females, tall, small, etc) and they actually REQUEST me to pick popsicle sticks to take the partnering process out of their hands. We need to explicitly TEACH partnering skills Before I ask my students to work in partners, we have a number of discussions where we talk about what partnering LOOKS like, SOUNDS like, and WHY working in partnerships is beneficial. Together we made a list that we continue to refer to as we refine our partnering skills. The students did a pretty good job, I thought! Consider making a similar list with your students to make sure they understand that partnering isn't always easy--but it's worth it! As students start to work in pairs, you may need to stop and review some of these...and your students may come up with different ideas as well. Students need to realize that partnering isn't easy--and they will have to work at it! For some students, understanding that "balanced power" means that BOTH people have to share and both people have to listen is key--they can all relate to times they have had someone try to take over a group...and trying to work with someone who is NOT engaged or on task. So when should I use partnerships? All day long! Think about all the different ways that "Two heads" might be better than one...try some of these! Creating a climate where students work peacefully together will help increase engagement, improve learning, and increase the amount of academic discourse in your classroom. Another added bonus? As students work well TOGETHER, you are free to circulate, coach, and get a better sense of what is happening with your students' learning. Buddy reading Whether your students read with younger students or with others in your class, learning to read so others can hear, taking turns, staying on task, and using an appropriate voice level are all easy to practice with buddy reading. Try making copies of a fun poem for students to experiment with--or have them partner read an article. If you really want to dig in, have students read a novel as partners where they have discussions and buddy reading over an extended period of time. They can even complete a culminating project together! Checking for accuracy One of the first "partner routines" my students learn as we start the school year is "check for accuracy". I start this with basic math problems, math homework, and other tasks--where students work alone, then compare answers with a partner. We then practice how to handle when answers are different...and learn how to re-solve the problem together to see who was wrong and how to "fix up" any mistakes together. This really helps create a climate for collaboration, not competition and is a great way for students to check homework, to check over practice work, or to test the spelling of a tricky word! "Turn and Talk" One of the classic partner activities...and a GREAT way to get all students involved in discussions--turn and talk is a way for students to participate more frequently. This DOES need to be explicitly taught as well. If you simply say, "Turn and talk to a partner", you can sit back and watch certain students immediately turning to a best friend, other students sitting back and waiting to be asked (often ending up sitting silent)--and this doesn't lead to productive talk. Teach students to turn and talk by first checking around them to "include" students (may mean creating a trio!) and to make sure that each partner has a chance to share their ideas. This is a great way to get everyone talking--especially when asking questions ALL students should have access to. Not all students will know the answer to all math problems...but everyone should be able to answer questions related to opinions...to read alouds ("What do you think Ally should do next?")...or other easily accessible ideas. Math games Math games are a fun and easy way to teach the give and take of partnering. When students struggle, you can sit with them and coach the fair play and sportsmanship...but with games, the turn taking part is more automatic and students can work on some of the other factors such as voice level, on task behavior, using supplies wisely and more. This is one of the games in one of my "Partner Play" resources! Partner journals One thing my students enjoy once in a while is what I call "partner journals". You can do a lot of different things with this--but essentially in involves "sharing a notebook" to reflect back and forth on a read aloud, an article, a math problem--anything. Check out THIS POST for more information. It is a great way for students to realize that they write so that others can understand--and if they don't, communication breaks down. Try it and see! Challenge problems Putting students in situations where they need to solve difficult problems can be a great way for partners to learn how to make suggestions, listen to ideas, and politely disagree. When the answer isn't immediately obvious, it becomes clear that "two heads can be better than one"...and students can take their learning to higher levels. What about when students WANT to work alone? This is when coaching might be important...students need to see that other students might have great ideas, might help them find errors in their own thinking--and can make the entire process more fun! My students did a great job partnering on this back to school shopping challenge! These algebra thinking cards were MUCH easier when partners started working together! The math discussions they had were fantastic--and they found lots of misconceptions and mistakes they were making as they worked! My favorite quote? "I knew I could never do math this hard by myself!" And so much more! These are just a few suggestions to get your students working in pairs--but there are so many more! Keep stressing how important collaboration is--and how it takes practice to get good at it...but when we ARE good at it, working together can be so much fun! Follow me on... Facebook Pinterest Instagram @Fourthgradestudio Twitter @FourthGrStudio Periscope @ FourthGrStudio Teachers Pay Teachers Store Blog

Every guy picks up a guitar for the first time with the sole purpose of getting girls. It starts in a dorm room somewhere, as you awkwardly try to make your way through Stairway to Heaven, and, for those with enough determination, it ends on a huge stage with scores women waiting for you to

Isn’t it amazing how hard we have to work at communicating well? I often throw up my hands and think, “God, does it really have to be this difficult?”Whether it is working through a misunderstanding with my husband, negotiating through a conflict among my children, or responding thoughtfully to a coaching client who’s trying to figure out her next best step, communicating well is an essential skill that requires intentionality, humility, and perseverance. Although words have always come easily to me, I’ve not always been good at communicating well. My thoughts would often race ahead, striving to find the…

I've tried therapy, drugs, and booze. Here’s how I came to terms with the nation's most common mental illness.

Crossing the midline activities for kids. What on earth are those? Sometimes in the educational world we start speaking a slightly different language than 'normal' people. Not that teachers aren't normal ... though ... you do need to be a little insane to work with small children all day long, don't you? Anyways. I had

Check out these 5 No-Prep Reviews Games for any classroom or any subject! Click to see what no-prep review games you can add to your teacher toolbox!

Teamwork in the classroom is essential in order to have a high functioning and welcoming environment for students. Check out three easy ways to build teamwork with your students.

People who recognize their own strengths tend to be happier and have greater self-esteem. However, when a person uses their strengths every day, they can...

Reading Donald Miller's "Scary Close" helped sixth grade math teacher Alicia Hunker find her more authentic self and become a better person and educator.

Prefixes and suffixes in first grade? Kindergarten ? What?! I'm not sure who decided teaching them so early was the way to go but never fear...

I randomly came up with this idea during the last week of school. One of my reading groups had finished their book and project before any of the other groups had finished. Instead of giving them a new book (there was only one week left), I quickly created this template and told them to pick an event in history and research it. I had one boy choose the Vikings, someone else chose the atomic bomb, a girl wanted the great depression, and another student picked the Korean war. I loved that everyone had such diverse topics. After they got started, I saw some great learning take place in my classroom! Because it's an inquiry-based activity, they generated their own questions. And because they got to choose their own topic, they were excited and felt ownership over the project. I plan on using this next year as a fun fast finisher activity. This list is something I quickly generated. {I know it is not all inclusive - if I left something off that you really want me to add on, please leave me a comment.} This would be fun to hang up somewhere in the back of the classroom so fast finishers can work on a project whenever they want. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HISTORY DETECTIVES! * * * * * Want to hear some GREAT news? I am leaving next week on an 8 day history trip to Virginia where I get to study at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute! I also get to visit Jamestown and Yorktown. I'm so excited! I plan on posting lots of the things I learn, including pictures!

As the arts lose more and more of a hold in education, it becomes increasingly important for teachers to find ways to integrate the arts in their classes.

Check out these fun teaching materials for teaching comma rules to upper elementary including an anchor chart, videos, and graphic organizer.

Download This Worksheet (PDF) Plot Twist Worksheet Nothing makes me want to race through a story more than an idea for a great plot twist! The best twists reframe the entire narrative and leave you spluttering in disbelief; Fight Club, Ender’s Game, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Birds Fall Down, and Murder on the Orient Express…

Thousands of teachers have used these tried and true GUARANTEED tups to stop students from blurting out. Chatty Class? YOU NEED TO READ THIS!

Wondering how to organize a notebook for work? organizing a notebook for work is one of the key things to do at work to be productive and organized at work. I have Work notebook organization tips and notebook for work ideas, with these notebook organization ideas for work setup a work notebook and know how to use a notebook for work work notebook for office is key to work organization. Use Bujo for work or bullet journal for work with these Work journal ideas and be organized and productive.

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In this post, I share 10 of my favorite time management tips that you can action right away to help you better manage your time and boost your productivity.

This list of 9 items will help any ADHD person be more productive in their home office.

Why is being organized important at work? How to stay organized at work? In this post, learn the power of being organized, the benefits of being organized, tips for staying organized, organizational habits, and more!

Work from home jobs are becoming popular with the increased use of internet. It is a good idea to put technology into use and earn money while staying home.

With everyone scrambling to adjust their lives to a new schedule / routine due to COVID-19, here is some advice for employees and company leaders alike on best practices to balance work and day-to-day life from the comfort of your home.

Why is being organized important at work? How to stay organized at work? In this post, learn the power of being organized, the benefits of being organized, tips for staying organized, organizational habits, and more!

Are you overwhelmed at work, missing important deadlines, and feeling chaos? Well, you need to get organized at work. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I am sharing here how you can get organized at work, these are tried and tested tips and practices that have allowed me to be organized and productive at work for more than 10 years and maintain my sanity.

Get organized at work with master lists here are 12 lists that will help you stay organized at work with to-do list organization, office to do list organization. Find How to organize to do list, to make a daily to do list organization with Work organization ideas. Master to do list are work organization ideas that make office work to-do list easier so that you have 1 master to do list for office work and you know how to organize work to-do list. office organization at work.

If you’re wondering how to be happy at work, the solution is simple. This recent study shows the secret to being your happiest self on the job.

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Wondering How to prioritize work, How to prioritize work task, How to prioritize To Do list , here are 5 steps to help you prioritizing work time management. These tips will help in organizing task, getting organized at wiork, be productive at work and work smart.

Looking for ways to get more done in the office? These 5 tips are essential to increase your productivity and positive day on the job.

Why is being organized important at work? How to stay organized at work? In this post, learn the power of being organized, the benefits of being organized, tips for staying organized, organizational habits, and more!

Get organized at work with master lists here are 12 lists that will help you stay organized at work with to-do list organization, office to do list organization. Find How to organize to do list, to make a daily to do list organization with Work organization ideas. Master to do list are work organization ideas that make office work to-do list easier so that you have 1 master to do list for office work and you know how to organize work to-do list. office organization at work.

Here are 7 inspiring work office decorating ideas to help you inject some personality & color into your workspace to inspire creativity and productivity.

How to work smarter, not harder? Here are Tips to work smarter, not harder. Increase work productivity with 12 Ways to work smarter not harder so Dont work hard work smart at office job use these Hacks to work smarter not harder. Find How to work smart with work advice and get successful at work with these work smarter not harder ideas.

Are you engaging in workplace habits that make you look unprofessional? Check out this surprising list of the worst work behaviors.

Here's an excellent infographic with 12 office desk hacks to get your productivity up and make the office a more pleasant place to be:

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