🗑 Breakfast trash changed my classroom culture

📋 Too many tasks, not enough time

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🥞 How breakfast trash changed my classroom culture

My Spanish 3 class is during first period — 8:15 to 9:01 am.

Because it’s at the beginning of the day (and because I teach high school), lots of my students are trying to get some things settled before their day starts.

One of those things they’re trying to settle? Food.

Breakfast, to be specific.

We have a grab-and-go-style breakfast at our school … and we don’t have strict rules about where and when students can eat.

Side note: I’m OK with that. In fact, I love it. We know how important breakfast is to getting students off on the right foot. (Research indicates it has a positive impact not only on academic performance but also on behavior.)

Yes, sometimes it makes a mess … and yes, sometimes students are finishing their breakfast during my first period class. But I’d rather trade a few minutes and some inconveniences for the fact that my students are fed and ready to thrive for the rest of the day. (But hey, that’s just my opinion.)

Last week, they were serving French toast bake for breakfast … and the portions were LARGE. Most of the students I saw eating it were not able to finish it.

So, as my first period Spanish class wore on, there were a few students with the little disposable breakfast trays on their desks.

As they were working on an assignment, I just started picking them up and tossing them in the trash.

I could tell that it surprised some students. When one student saw what I was doing, she put on a big smile and said “THANK YOU.”

This isn’t the traditional wisdom I was taught as a new teacher.

They said: Things like that are the student’s responsibility.

They said: Students have to learn responsibility.

They said: If students slip up, call them on it and make them handle it themselves.

Now that I’ve been teaching for a while, I’ve realized two truths that have changed my stance on those things …

1. Students have a TON of responsibilities

At least my high school students do. Some examples:

• About 22 percent of high school students have a part time job. (BLS)

• They’re often doing hours of homework — after spending they whole school day doing academic work.

• They participate in other activities: sports, school clubs, community organizations, church youth group, etc.

There’s a case to be made that childhood teaches kids a lot about following through on commitments and doing your part.

But I thought, in this case, lots of my students are burdened with a LOT of responsibility.

Instead, let’s scrap a little bit of that responsibility for something just as important (maybe more?) …

Kindness.

2. Reciprocity matters — and has a huge impact.

Reciprocity. You know … that idea that if I do it for you, you’d do it for me.

The Golden Rule, right?

There’s been all of this “conventional wisdom” to keep a serious demeanor. Don’t smile until Christmas. Don’t be their friend.

Well, yeah … when you say “don’t be their friend,” there are boundaries.

I’m not going to be their friend in THAT way.

But, as I read years ago from educator/author/speaker Rick Wormeli, I can be FRIENDLY.

It’s amazing how much it changes the atmosphere and climate of a classroom when we practice reciprocity … when we’re friendly.

A few ways I’ve been trying to practice this:

• Smiling at students and saying “hello” when we pass in the hallway.

• If there’s a spill in the hallway, I’ll go grab towels and help clean it up (even though it wasn’t my fault and isn’t my job).

• Holding doors. Helping to carry things.

I’m always on the lookout for more … and I’ve only been back in the classroom for not quite a month.

But that great big smile from my student? That was the reminder that I needed.

Little things add up to big impact

Those little things matter. It humanizes us as teachers.

And in the end, those classroom atmosphere/climate upgrades? They have a trickle-down impact on student behavior and even performance.

How do I know? Because I’d rather follow someone (or give them the benefit of the doubt) when I know that I matter to them.

Reciprocity. Do unto others …

I needed that little reminder. Maybe you needed it, too.

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