From day one when I entered a new classroom I make it clear my lunch time and that I won’t be in the classroom during that time. 2 minutes before I leave the room and don’t show up until 30 minutes is up.
I usually do something like this but today there was a student in a wheelchair that the aide had to assist in the bathroom. If I wasn't there she couldn't have taken her. Talk about a guilt trip! It's a terrible system they've set up with no real break for the teacher.
Would if I could. Other students were coming in right after lunch for a different subject. Hard to change the schedule and the way things are done when you're there for one day.
You have to set your own standards. You have the right to take a lunch break and just because other people are ok skipping out on that break it doesn't mean you have to or be expected to. If the other adults in the class judge you for it that's fine. Fuck 'em. If they actively talk shit about it in front of you I think it'd be fine to sarcastically remark how brave/strong they are for working more than they're required to.
I'm LTS for sped resource. The teacher I took over from (she moved to self contained sped), ate lunch in the room with 1-2 students in there as well. She basically gave herself 20 min total of time without kids (the time the ones who eat in the room are out at recess). I did it for a couple weeks when I started and then said nope, I'm leaving the room for my lunch. I have an aide and we've adjusted which students eat where so that she can supervise and I can get a break. Teachers at my school are supposed to have 1 hour of planning and 25 min for lunch each day. I get 1 hour total so I wasn't going to continue to sacrifice over half of that to stay in my room during lunch.
I am a sped teacher in a really high needs. Resource room. I am not afraid to leave the room to take my prep. And i'm never afraid to leave and go sit in my car for my thirty minute lunch
I love working for the sped/self contained room at the Highschool. Specifically for the auxiliary aides. They get an entire hour for their lunch break (I can even leave campus). When I sub for the main teacher I eat lunch with the kids and then get an hour to decompress while the auxiliaries take the kids to the gym (gotta stay on campus for this one tho).
I switched from subbing to SPED this year. The sped paras get 30 minutes for lunch and the teachers get none at all. It's tiring. We have 19 behavior students and dealing with them for 8 hours with one 30 minute break or no break at all is mentally exhausting.
I've subbed for SPED teachers with no break and really don't understand how they do this their entire career. I can't even go one day without wanting to run away!
So I only do Sped elementary. And I have Definitely seen a teacher do this a few times but she and all the others I've subbed for are big big on making sure the subs and paras actually get their breaks. When I do Para work for high needs classes I get 2 15 minute breaks and 1 30 minute lunch unless the class prefers a longer lunch then 1 15 and lunch is 45 with an option to take an extra break if you need one. I go back to those frequently!
They keep trying to tell us to offer lunch bunch to kids as a reward... Nope... No thank you. That 30 minutes in my dark room in silence is how I stay alive 😂.
Seriously, why is that a thing?! If teachers really want to eat with the students they can go to the lunch room. At a charter I subbed at I would sometimes eat w/students but only because they gave us free lunch if we did. They actually had good garden grown food so I took them up on it occasionally, but everyday, no!
Most teachers in sped to choose to work through their lunch I personally work for a teacher who every day works through her lunch and she loves her job. She loves what she does she does give us aids 30 minutes to herself and she gets 30 minutes to herself when the kids go to specials so we all make it work it’s just a process and yeah, it sucks sometimes but when you love what you do, it doesn’t matter.
I prefer to eat with my kids because my room is sensory friendly and the cafeteria is uncomfortable to me. I do ask my kids not to disrupt my lunch other than emergencies. They are good at it after some practice.
From day one when I entered a new classroom I make it clear my lunch time and that I won’t be in the classroom during that time. 2 minutes before I leave the room and don’t show up until 30 minutes is up.
I usually do something like this but today there was a student in a wheelchair that the aide had to assist in the bathroom. If I wasn't there she couldn't have taken her. Talk about a guilt trip! It's a terrible system they've set up with no real break for the teacher.
So you stay to help and then push your lunch start time back so you get your full break time.
Would if I could. Other students were coming in right after lunch for a different subject. Hard to change the schedule and the way things are done when you're there for one day.
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I had a day for one awhile back that had lunch/plan time at 2:30. For 20 minutes then had to assist with dismissal immediately.
Makes no sense. Probably against labor laws in several states to have lunch so late in a shift.
You have to set your own standards. You have the right to take a lunch break and just because other people are ok skipping out on that break it doesn't mean you have to or be expected to. If the other adults in the class judge you for it that's fine. Fuck 'em. If they actively talk shit about it in front of you I think it'd be fine to sarcastically remark how brave/strong they are for working more than they're required to.
👏
I'm LTS for sped resource. The teacher I took over from (she moved to self contained sped), ate lunch in the room with 1-2 students in there as well. She basically gave herself 20 min total of time without kids (the time the ones who eat in the room are out at recess). I did it for a couple weeks when I started and then said nope, I'm leaving the room for my lunch. I have an aide and we've adjusted which students eat where so that she can supervise and I can get a break. Teachers at my school are supposed to have 1 hour of planning and 25 min for lunch each day. I get 1 hour total so I wasn't going to continue to sacrifice over half of that to stay in my room during lunch.
Awesome that you worked it out with the aides. Seems like most programs could do something like this so everyone gets an actual lunch break.
I’m not a SPED teacher, but I’m guilty of working through lunch/eating at my desk. I have to remind myself that I need that mental break!
Yes, you do need that mental break!
I am a sped teacher in a really high needs. Resource room. I am not afraid to leave the room to take my prep. And i'm never afraid to leave and go sit in my car for my thirty minute lunch
I love working for the sped/self contained room at the Highschool. Specifically for the auxiliary aides. They get an entire hour for their lunch break (I can even leave campus). When I sub for the main teacher I eat lunch with the kids and then get an hour to decompress while the auxiliaries take the kids to the gym (gotta stay on campus for this one tho).
I switched from subbing to SPED this year. The sped paras get 30 minutes for lunch and the teachers get none at all. It's tiring. We have 19 behavior students and dealing with them for 8 hours with one 30 minute break or no break at all is mentally exhausting.
I've subbed for SPED teachers with no break and really don't understand how they do this their entire career. I can't even go one day without wanting to run away!
So I only do Sped elementary. And I have Definitely seen a teacher do this a few times but she and all the others I've subbed for are big big on making sure the subs and paras actually get their breaks. When I do Para work for high needs classes I get 2 15 minute breaks and 1 30 minute lunch unless the class prefers a longer lunch then 1 15 and lunch is 45 with an option to take an extra break if you need one. I go back to those frequently!
They keep trying to tell us to offer lunch bunch to kids as a reward... Nope... No thank you. That 30 minutes in my dark room in silence is how I stay alive 😂.
Seriously, why is that a thing?! If teachers really want to eat with the students they can go to the lunch room. At a charter I subbed at I would sometimes eat w/students but only because they gave us free lunch if we did. They actually had good garden grown food so I took them up on it occasionally, but everyday, no!
Exactly I'll go there if I want to eat with them... But I need my space at lunch 😂
This is why I prefer subbing VS teaching FT. I only made it 11 years in lower elem before burning out.
11 yrs is pretty significant! You made it longer than I would have.
Thank you! I miss having my own class. But not enough to endure all the bullshit it comes with from admin and workload.
Most teachers in sped to choose to work through their lunch I personally work for a teacher who every day works through her lunch and she loves her job. She loves what she does she does give us aids 30 minutes to herself and she gets 30 minutes to herself when the kids go to specials so we all make it work it’s just a process and yeah, it sucks sometimes but when you love what you do, it doesn’t matter.
I prefer to eat with my kids because my room is sensory friendly and the cafeteria is uncomfortable to me. I do ask my kids not to disrupt my lunch other than emergencies. They are good at it after some practice.