8. Silent Lunch is Your Friend!

8. Silent Lunch is Your Friend

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*Leaders demonstrate courage and collaboration. Courageous & Collaborative Leaders

The following are comments from our classes.

“Warning. The next time I have to call you down you will be on silent lunch.” (He got silent lunch.)

“Boys, you left class without permission. I am responsible for your safety. You need to serve Lunch Detention for this.” 'Yes ma’am,' they reluctantly share.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Rough housing in class is not okay. Lunch detention for you.” “But we didn’t get a warning!” they say. (They keep hoping for another chance. Note: The more consistent you are, the better it will be.)

My teammate gives lunch detention for students who do not turn in homework. (I love this idea.)

Another teammate has given lunch detention twice when a student jumped into a water puddle and splashed her. He said, “I didn’t mean to...” – both times.

Lunch detention is not a harsh punishment, but it does provide students with accountability for their actions. We have two students who will probably be on lunch detention until they turn twenty-one. One of our teachers said to one of the boys, “You are on lunch detention until we tell you, you are not.” 

Another boy walks up to our table and says, “Am I still on lunch detention?” “Yes, Mrs. Ruppert gave you two days.” “Oh, yeah,” he smirks.

They face us during lunch detention. They must be silent. They cannot communicate in any way and they cannot put their heads down. When they are sitting, their body language oozes misery. One day I walked in and about half my homeroom was on lunch detention. "What did my homeroom do?" I asked my teammates. I have never heard them so quiet. (:

What we know is that our students would much rather be sitting with their friends, socializing. What we know is that when we speak with one voice, they are more likely to hear us.

And while the above incidences may seem trivial, having a consequence or a response to disruptive behavior can diffuse students’ actions. Not all students respond to Lunch Detention, or Silent Lunch; but many do. Students have to sit quietly during lunch, and they hate it.

Advice

1)   If you give lunch detention be sure and keep a record of who has served, what the offense was and how many days they have. Our team leader keeps a running total for all of us. Eventually, the lunch detentions could provide us with information that parents may want to know.

2)   Those who serve lunch detention are not allowed to talk. If they talk to anyone, another day is added.

3)   Students have to ask for permission to take their tray to the dishwashing section of your cafeteria.

4)   Students sit facing the teachers at their own table.