Since the beginning of February, we have been eating lunch in the classrooms. After talking to teachers, some of them shared their opinions about this change from eating in the cafeteria for the first half of the school year. 

“I like eating in the classrooms because it gives me opportunities to get to know students in a more laid back environment,” AVID elective and English teacher Ms. Stacy Willoughby said. “I don’t like it because students don’t always clean up after themselves. It hurts my feelings, at times, when students cannot show a modicum of respect and clean up their mess. It sends a very loud message when students expect me to clean their trash up.”

It seems teachers have both things they like and dislike about eating in the classroom; the biggest drawback being the extra work eating in the classroom causes them. 

“I love the opportunity to have more time with my Connect students and build relationships with them,” English teacher Mrs. Casey Walker said. “Also, it has been nice for my students to have the opportunity to eat more slowly if needed. However, it has caused me to have to sweep more crumbs off the ground.”

From hearing from the teachers I understand that there are positive things about eating lunch in class but also negative things.  If students would do their job and clean up after themselves, that would help the teachers out a lot.  Also, students have the time to clean up after themselves and help the teachers clean, rather than just leaving it all up to one person, the teacher. 

Also a good thing for students is that we don’t have to rush to eat. We also have time to go make up work for another class, which I know has helped students out a lot. For example, if you forgot to do your homework, well during Connect you could work on it, or if you’re stuck on something, you can go ask your teacher for some help. We do also have to remember that teachers eat lunch during this time too.

Overall, however, is that students can create a bond with their Connect teachers because we have been with them the longest and have more time to talk to them during this lunch time in the classroom. We can use this time to connect to one specific teacher.