Assigned seats for elementary school lunch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Cut loose at lunch time?!! Have you been in the school,cafeteria at lunch time when the entire place is "cut loose"? Don't get me wrong, it should not be a silent lunch. Kids need to talk. They don't need to be yelling to kids at other tables or shouting out. Cafeteria management begins with set norms for the entire school of expectations that are then reinforced by the classroom teachers. I don't mean by the teachers themselves in the cafeteria, they need their break, but by class rules and norms that have been set into place ahead of time. I have seen assigned seats on occasion, as needed per class. Class discussions on this should be occurring. Management still needs to occur so students can talk, not be "cut loose".

Agree. And, remember, in lots of schools lunch is very short and if the kids talk too much, they don't eat. It can be a true circus if allowed to get out of control.

I agree 100% with this. We have assigned seats when necessary. When they're too loud (yelling over each other, etc) they aren't sitting down, or aren't eating. Assigned seats for a few days and a tighter lid on the "cutting loose" does the trick. When they get a grip on it they can go back to choosing their own spot.

It's absolutely correct that in cafeterias where kids are "cutting loose," lunch does not get eaten, and the result is that everyone pays a price for that after lunchtime -- the kids, because their attention flags and they're focused on the fact they're hungry and grumpy; and the teachers, because they have to try to get the flagging attention of hungry, grumpy kids. I wonder if the OP has ever sat through a whole lunchtime at a school where kids were allowed to cut loose? If he or she had done so, then it would be obvious how much food is wasted, how little gets eaten by many kids, and how insanely loud a cafeteria can become.

Kids DO need to socialize during lunch and talk, but there has to be a clear expectation of reasonable volume and good behavior just as in a classroom. Our elementary school had assigned seating only by class -- each class had certain tables it had to use, but kids could sit anywhere they liked at those specific tables. Totally silent lunch was only instituted a very, very few times in all the years of elementary for my daughter (now in MS) and only when someone had gotten totally wild such as throwing something, or a whole class was being so obnoxiously loud that the lunchroom attendants shut it all down for the rest of that one lunchtime. Never was silent lunch a regular thing-- it was only brought out as a rare discipline. As for some kids paying the price for a few kids' acting up -- welcome to the real world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with assigned lunch seating. There are children who are ostracized and have no one to sit with at lunch. That's wrong. It's an easy thing for the school to help them with.

I think assigned seating is a great idea. I went to a private school and we had assigned seating. So while it sucks you cant eat with your friend, it also meant that no one had to deal with the eating alone issue that is just cruel. I remember being very grateful for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Cut loose at lunch time?!! Have you been in the school,cafeteria at lunch time when the entire place is "cut loose"? Don't get me wrong, it should not be a silent lunch. Kids need to talk. They don't need to be yelling to kids at other tables or shouting out. Cafeteria management begins with set norms for the entire school of expectations that are then reinforced by the classroom teachers. I don't mean by the teachers themselves in the cafeteria, they need their break, but by class rules and norms that have been set into place ahead of time. I have seen assigned seats on occasion, as needed per class. Class discussions on this should be occurring. Management still needs to occur so students can talk,

It's absolutely correct that in cafeterias where kids are "cutting loose," lunch does not get eaten, and the result is that everyone pays a price for that after lunchtime -- the kids, because their attention flags and they're focused on the fact they're hungry and grumpy; and the teachers, because they have to try to get the flagging attention of hungry, grumpy kids. I wonder if the OP has ever sat through a whole lunchtime at a school where kids were allowed to cut loose? If he or she had done so, then it would be obvious how much food is wasted, how little gets eaten by many kids, and how insanely loud a cafeteria can become.

Kids DO need to socialize during lunch and talk, but there has to be a clear expectation of reasonable volume and good behavior just as in a classroom. Our elementary school had assigned seating only by class -- each class had certain tables it had to use, but kids could sit anywhere they liked at those specific tables. Totally silent lunch was only instituted a very, very few times in all the years of elementary for my daughter (now in MS) and only when someone had gotten totally wild such as throwing something, or a whole class was being so obnoxiously loud that the lunchroom attendants shut it all down for the rest of that one lunchtime. Never was silent lunch a regular thing-- it was only brought out as a rare discipline. As for some kids paying the price for a few kids' acting up -- welcome to the real world.

I think it is a bit of a stretch to say that if we don't force kids into assigned seating for lunchtime the entire school will fall apart. What happens when kids don't eat breakfast? I have eaten lunch in the cafeteria with my DS who is in 4th grade. Is it a bit crazy -- yes. Do the kids eat every celery stick that is packed by parents-- no. But the kids were enjoying themselves and learning to work within the social construct. In fact, I think they were acting like elementary school aged kids! Lighten up a bit. Let the kids sit with their friends for 30 mins. In fact, I think it will be better for the teachers since the kids will have gotten some of their socializing out of their system.

[Anonymous]

+1

[Anonymous]

Not only assigned seating and enforced quiet, but our school lunch is short, just 20 min. Is that typical in public schools? Are there longer lunch periods in private? Is it an issue of overcrowding or do they see diminishing returns for longer times and food eaten?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with assigned lunch seating. There are children who are ostracized and have no one to sit with at lunch. That's wrong. It's an easy thing for the school to help them with.

I think assigned seating is a great idea. I went to a private school and we had assigned seating. So while it sucks you cant eat with your friend, it also meant that no one had to deal with the eating alone issue that is just cruel. I remember being very grateful for it.

This

[Anonymous]

tyjk gfh

[Anonymous]

no

[Anonymous]

private school with 15-30 kids a grade compared to public school with 80-150 kids in a grade are very different situations.

[Anonymous]

My kid has assigned seating but they switch it up every couple of months.

[Anonymous]

YASSSS WE SHOULD BOO

[Anonymous]

Yes we should, not only will school bullying happen, but people may feel left out because of cliques and groups. I do have mixed feelings about it though because it may be their only free time to eat and enjoy. But still people shouldn't feel left out thats why im neutral about this!

[Anonymous]

YESSSS GURLLLLL PREACHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Anonymous]

I worked as a lunch helper at a public school with assigned seats. It doesn't mean that kids who are normally excluded are suddenly included. What happens is they are ignored at whatever table they are at (at best) OR they are ostracized and bullied when nobody is paying attention. I had no say in where the kids sat, but if I became aware of somebody being rude to any student, I came down hard on that student. Spoke to them privately, made them write their name down and gave it to the teacher and told the teacher to find out why this student wrote their name down. Then I watched those students more closely and made sure to engage the student who was bullied/picked on to make sure they were comfortable speaking up for themselves. I also let students who were good help me which they really enjoyed. The ones who seemed to have less friends, I'd let them choose a buddy to be their helper.

[Anonymous]

ES was not assigned, but MS was. You had to sit in the same seat everyday.