Lunch Duty: the mere mention of it strikes fear into the heart of some administrators.
I admit that spending 30 minutes with 3-4 hundred teenagers during lunchtime is a daunting task. As administrators, we have added some small changes that make lunch a lot better.
First, we eat lunch with the kids. We spend a few minutes with a small table of kids and talk to them about life, school, and get to know them better.
Second, we reinforce positive behavior. Enough said
Third, we let them outside to play football, talk, text, play on their phones or just move around.
Today I found myself playing backyard football with forty 7th graders. You know the drill. Everyone picks a side and then one student yells “go!” And it turns into a mosh pit off kids running around the grass trying to catch a pass that stays in the air forever. No huddles, No plays, No first downs. It is chaos.
Among the chaos, and with a little organization, the kids find joy. I find joy and for a small moment my childhood.