Is Gossip Running Wild At Your School? Here's How You Can Help!
It’s always amazes me when I think about how fast things spread. One of the recent trends that has been most fascinating to me is the resurgence of Crocs. Back in the day, Crocs were worn by avid gardeners, the elderly, or both. Not only were they not popular, they were hated and made fun of. Then… something changed. Slowly but surely, teenagers and young adults everywhere began sporting the shoe. Now, it’s hard to find a classroom without kids wearing them.
Another thing that you can probably find in every classroom is gossip. Just like with Crocs, gossip and rumors start out with just a few people, until it seems like the whole school is talking about the latest info. Unfortunately, this can be devastating to school/classroom culture, and can be incredibly hurtful to the people involved.
If you’re wondering how to stop the gossip and rumors taking over at your school, check out the tips below. You’ll learn ways to teach kids to identify gossip, understand the negative impacts of it, and know what to do when they hear it
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Tip #1: Teach Kids about What Gossip Is
The first step to encouraging kids not to gossip is to help them understand what gossip and what it isn’t. Without a clear definition, kids may be gossiping without realizing it. It’s also harder for kids to stand up to gossip when they can’t identify it.
The definition of gossip that I use is: Information that one person says about another person that is unkind, said when the other person isn't around, and may or may not be true.
To help kids get better at identifying gossip, give them examples and have them decide whether or not it's gossip. Here are some ideas:
You told someone that you heard a classmate got into a fight.
You and a friend were talking about a soccer game you both played in last night.
You told your mom about the award that your friend won.
You saw someone look around while you were taking a test, so you told everyone that the person cheated.
You can also use this scoot game as an engaging way to teach kids about what gossip is and what it isn’t. The better kids understand gossip, the easier it will be for them to spot it and stop it.
Tip #2: Talk About How Gossip Can Be Hurtful
The truth is that sometimes it can be HARD not to gossip. It can sometimes be SO tempting to spread juicy information or talk about things someone else said or did. It's hard for me as an adult, but it's even more challenging for kids who are trying to figure out their social status, make and keep friends, and develop their understanding of the world and the things in it.
But, it’s important to remember that gossip is serious and can have serious implications. Though our students may be tempted to join in the gossip, it’s important to talk about why they shouldn’t. When kids are aware of how hurtful gossip can be, they may be more likely to think twice before participating in it.
Use these activities with the book Mr. Peabody’s Apples
Here are a few activities you can use to teach kids about the dangers of gossip and rumors.
Telephone: Whisper a message to one person in the class or group. Then, have them whisper it to the next person, and so on. Once everyone has heard the message, have the last person say the message out loud. It's very likely that the message will differ from the original. This is a great activity to help kids see how rumors and gossip can change over time.
The book Mr. Peabody's Apples: In this book, the kids see their Little League coach, Mr. Peabody, take an apple without paying for it, and decide to tell everyone about it. The next week, the kids learn that Mr. Peabody didn't in fact steal the apple. Then, he gives the kids a powerful lesson about the importance of not spreading rumors and gossip. You can find activities to use with the book here.
Glitter Activity: If you’ve ever used glitter for anything, you know that it gets everywhere, and is impossible to clean up. Once it’s out of the jar it comes in, there’s no getting it all back in. Glitter is the perfect representation of gossip - once you share something, it can spread easily and there’s not much you can do to get it back. For your lesson, you can explain this to kids or - if you’re brave enough - bring in some glitter to illustrate the point!
Tip #3: Teach Kids What To Do When They Hear Gossip
No matter how much you caution against gossiping, it’s still going to happen to some extent. That’s why it’s important to teach kids about what to do if they hear gossip or rumors. They may know that gossip is wrong, but it can be hard for kids to say something about it. This is especially true when they aren't sure what to say. By teaching kids about specific things they can say or do when they hear gossip, we can increase their confidence in their ability to do something about the situation.
One way to help kids develop this skill is by role-playing. For this, you can pretend like you are gossiping or spreading a rumor, and the student(s) can practice responding. You can encourage kids to come up with their own ideas, or give them some pre-scripted responses that they can practice using. Here are some ideas:
Let's not talk about them since they aren't here.
Please don't say that. I wouldn't like it if you said that about me.
I don't think that's true. They have always been kind to me.
When kids feel prepared to tackle these types of situations, they will be more likely to speak up and say something.
Gossip and rumors can be so destructive to the culture of your school and to the people involved. My hope is that these tips will help you give your students the tools they need to spot gossip and do something about it.
