Put-Ups & Put-Downs

Tom Winiecki
Mott Road Elementary School
Fayetteville, NY

We have all heard our students say things that bother you, not to mention annoy their classmates. There probably is not a "sure fire" way to eliminate these "put-downs." But there may be a way to slow them down and begin to get kids "seeing the other side."

Begin by going over with your students what a "put-up" and a "put-down" is. Go over their effects on others, both positive and negative. Explain that other kids want to play with people that say nice things to them. They won't want to play with others that constantly look for the negatives in someone, or something.

Try to keep track of all of the "put-ups" (positive statements) and "put-downs" (negative statements) that you hear during your classes. Have the kids keep an ear open for them also. Believe me, they won't miss many!

At the end of each class, just before they are about to get picked up, ask they if they heard any of these. Now is when you have to be careful. Make sure that if they heard a "put-down," they can tell you what it was, but they CANNOT tell you who said it. We are not in the business of singling out individuals, just the behavior. Who said it really doesn't matter. They will know that it was them. What was said is the important thing here.

If, on the other hand someone heard a "put-up," have them tell you what was said AND who said it. Just watch the person who said it; their chest will puff right up! After a few classes of doing this, everyone will want to be mentioned for a "put-up." You will be pleasantly suprised by the flood of positive comments. The learning environment in your gym just improved tremendously. Your kids are more willing to try things they may not have before, because they are no longer afraid of someone else shooting them down. They will also realize that positive comments are more useful than negative ones. And all it takes is a few moments at the end of a class. It's a small price to pay for showing kids how to be more positive.