Yes, I eat lunch with my students.

“Mrs. Skiles, I didn’t have time to complete my work because I am a day user.”  

“We do not have Wi-Fi at my house, so my assignment is not complete”

As a 1:1 Apple iPad School District the assumption is that all students have access to a device so completion rates should increase.  The assumption is true if all students truly did have equal access to devices and equal access to a Wi-Fi network.

“Day-User” a term used for a student who turns in the iPad at the end of the day and pick it up at the beginning day.  If a “day-user” student does not complete an assignment in the amount of time given in class, there is no “complete this for homework.”   For a student who does not have Wi-Fi at home, the same is true unless the assignment can be downloaded to the iPad and accessed offline.

There are multiple reasons for a student to be a “day-user.”  Majority of the reason do not have anything to do with the student, it is a decision by the parents or other circumstances. Even if the student is a home user the other obstacle is being able to connect to the Wi-Fi service.  Our district is considered rural but growing rapidly, the communication company struggle to keep up with the expanding population. Personally, the Wi-Fi at my home is spotty, it goes in out and not reliable. Many times I find myself grading activities or lesson planning using my cellphone as a hotspot.  Even if a student’s home can get Wi-Fi access that does not mean the family can afford the access. Many times I seen students at local businesses working on assignments and using the free Wi-Fi. Yes, in 2019 Wi-Fi is still a luxury for many families. Many students have expressed concerned of receiving a low score on an assignment or not being able to turn in an assignment late due to these obstacles.   When an assignment is not accepted or marked down for something that student cannot control, what is the message we are sending to that student.   Educators should be lifting up or helps helping each on achieve, not pushing them back down.    

Fortunately I am able to “lift up” my students to be able to  overcome these obstacles. For two years now I have opened by room to students during lunch.  As an Exploratory Teacher, my plan is during the period that students are served lunch (5th or 4th hours).  A bonus my room is within the canteen and cafeteria, you have to go into the canteen to get to my room. If a student needs to work on anything from any class, they come to me before lunch and take a pass from my board.  After they get their lunch they come to my room and work.

When I began Open Lunch my goal was assist the students who were day-users or  did not have Wi-Fi access. Over time my open lunch has grown, students join for multiple reasons: just need to finish work, need a quiet place away from the crazy lunch, want to play card games or board games, to “chill” or just  talk. Our district vision is to educate students to achieve excellence through trusting relationship and superior instruction. In the vision trusting relationships is stated first, the superior instruction is second. Relationships must come before instruction, if students can not trust educators, believe that educators do not care about them, the superior instruction cannot happen.  During open lunch I had the opportunity to build relationships with my students. This relationship helps achieve the superior instruction. I have seen a difference in confidence and attitudes in the students that have regularly attending.

Open lunch has helped many students achieve goals and feel good, it has also help me grow as an educator and a person.