I don't have tons of experience in the cafateria. I also can't say I ever spent a full week in the cafateria (I have a 4,3,&2 year old at home.) I can tell you this. There is a limit on classroom sizes for a reason. When too many people (not just kids) are in a room, there just isn't enough control. When I was young our teachers ate with us, not staring down at us. There should be at least one lunch room attendant per class size. These children eat luch approximately 180 days out of the year at the school. During this time they usually are told 'hurry up and get your food', 'hurry up and find a seat', 'don't talk too loud', 'sit still', 'hurry up and eat or you will loose recess time', and the list goes on and on. Respect can be a two way street. One of my biggest complaints about lunch is that it has become more about the teacher getting a break than one of the most important times of the day.
Until 1/2 way through this year our students had lunch in their class rooms with a monitor for each class. They get their food, have no worries about where to sit, the monitor brings in his or her lunch or snack and sits with them. We decided to try the lunch room thing. The kids spent more time getting to and from the lunch room. We had less volunteers and they did not eat lunch at that time. It had appeared that the kids were getting out of control. Needless to say next year we are starting the year off back in the classrooms and I hope we never leave them. (by the way, the students do all of the clean up after lunch, including wiping off the tables and brush vacuuming the floor, I've asked the classroom each time I have substituted for a volunteer, they actually don't mind the cleaning because they get more time outside this way.)
I think another problem is that many of these kids simply cannot control their behavior. We had a few of these and they had their lunch in the office. It was amazing the difference it would make in the lunch room by simply removing a student or two. I really hated to see this done but it was helpful. Many of these children were fine after they had their afternoon dose of Ridilin (which was given after lunch!) Just an interesting tid bit. When I was a lunch room aide, I had looked into neighboring systems for ideas to calm the masses. One public school said that eating in the lunchroom was a privelige. That if a child continued to be a problem they consulted the parents and were told if their behavior did not improve they would have to make other arrangements for their child at lunch time. I do not know if they ever had to enforce this or not, but imagine the impact that would have! I guess sometimes extreme behavior requires extreme responses.
i have been a lunch time helper for 4 years now... I truely wish everyone would work the lunch time for 2 weeks straight. Yes, there are alot of good kids, but then you have the ones who are truely into something almost everyday. I'm not saying just talking, truely throwing things, fowl language, disrespecting other including adults. I could go on for hours. The problem is with these kids the PARENTS all say the same thing. Oh! my child would never do that. It really is a hard job when your watching 300 kids with only 2 people and 6 rooms to watch. And what really gets us ticked is, the parents on alot of these kids are home, they bring their lunches up to school, but won't let them go home. So we have to deal with their behavior problems and no matter how many people or students see what the kids are doing is wrong the parents do not. I reall wish ALL PARENTS of the kids who eat in school had to work at least 1 month a year to really see what goes on. You can not tell by just showing up sometimes for a little while, try to get the whole picture, you will be amazed.
I'm back again. I've just registered and I hope that my email address shows. This matter will probably go to our Super. as our principal will be leaving this year. Next year we will also have a vice principal. I'd appreciate any comments and will let you know what happens.
I became a cafeteria mom--because there are 2 sides to a coin. I've read the above replies and yes the best behaved can be disrespectful and as parents instead showing up at the lunch room join and talk to your lunch ladies we can give you an earful especially when we feel the situation is dangerous. Our lunch time runs from 12:30 to 1:15. There are 850-900 students in our ele. school 1-4. 1&2 come in for a 20 min . while 3&4 our outside and then they switch Our situation has become dangerous as lunch ladies are hard to find. We are getting nowhere with our super. and BOE. Our principal does come down to the cafetorium (this cafetorium is shared will the middle school they go to lunch between 11-12:15) We have tried all of the above suggestions except for oberving other schools. I just heard from another school district that their lunch ladies are employed not only for the lunch period but they are assigned to a class or two and they are these teaches assistants. Any suggestions because our situation has now come down to the parents involvement to change this matter.
