Ahhh the (lack of) Power of the Lunch Detention....

I subbed for 12 years, worked as a full-time Aide for 4 years (or 3...can't remember lol) any way in all those years MAYBE I issued 1 lunch detention. Only 1 you might ask! How only 1? Well you see I went into the lunch room to get my own lunch from time to time and bore witness to the LUNCH DETENTION TABLE where punishments were being served. At this table were kids who appeared to be like all the other kids in the cafe' only just waiting for their turn in line. Oh, and there's the stern looking adult (NOT) hovering nearby. You see when you receive a lunch detention for whatever the reason you are last in line, you are to sit at a designated table and of course it's preferred if your somewhat miserable and not showing signs of enjoyment...afterall a punishment is being served. (ha!) My observation confirmed my suspicion that the punishment was a pointless one. I never observed behaviors being changed. Therefore I chose to not issue the pointless piece of paper.

My son received another (yes not his 1st) lunch detention. His infraction, not having his writing folder and his hand book, which he never uses, with him in class. He informed the teacher they were in his locker and received the lunch detention and was sent to his locker to retrieve the items. Matt's was ok, with this. (he too knows it's "no big deal" to sit at the detention table) What puzzeled my son was what transpired after he returned with the materials he had arrived with out the first time. THE WRITING FOLDER AND HAND BOOK WERE NEVER USED, OR NEEDED!!! REALLY!

Now here's where it gets tricky for me. He asked me to make sense of that situation for him. I was at a loss. And having prior experience in the building he is now in I struggled to come up with a sensable explination. He knows he's to be prepared and he wasn't and he without issue did his 'time'.

I suppose I should've said something wise like..."they're trying to prepare you for the real world". But that would've, in my opinion been a falsehood. You see, my recent stint in the real world was in the school system. Many times teachers themselves were unprepared. Yet they were still able to eat lunch in a timely manner and at a table with their friends. I know I know they're grown ups. But what about the time when they forget or don't have time to grade the test/paper/project and return it in a timely manner like they said they would? Oh, yeah...grown ups and gownups get busy in the evenings. Therefore often times students are left waiting for the grade. What would it look like if the student happened to be busy the evening that homework was assigned? Would it be acceptable for them to not be ready? NOPE!

Now don't get me wrong...I have many friends who are teachers and I'll be the first to say they are under appreciated and overworked. I just feel there are better methods to getting a point across, or modifying behaviors. Especially at the jr./sr. high level. I think the lunch detention is a joke and doesn't begin to prepare them for the real world.

Just my opinion...and this is where I state them. ;)