Food days can be a great way to enhance the fun of learning in the classroom. A prime example of this is Jim Warren’s history class. Throughout his 27 years of teaching at Spring Lake High School, he’s hosted countless food days in Room 500.
To ensure his classroom stays clean and the food day runs smoothly, he has crafted different categories in which the food is organized. Students can volunteer to bring things in many categories: plates, napkins, plasticware, salty/savory, desserts, beverages, and “other”—a category that holds foods that don’t fit into the other options, such as dips. Students are free to volunteer for anything, or nothing at all.
Although the possibilities are endless, Warren acknowledged that there are recurring foods that are common to see at his food days. Some examples are foods like chips and dip, donuts, pops/juices, and cookies.
While students line up to fill their plates, Warren explained how he likes to play “groovin’ music” because it makes the class have a “family atmosphere.”
Despite having countless food days, Warren keeps track of which food days land in his top 10. He recalled his favorite food day was spring of this year, when his class had four crockpots of food, massive amounts of dessert, and a variety of drinks. Recently, out of his first trimester classes, Warren ranked his 5th hour sixth place out of all his food days, mentioning how they had “a massive variety” of foods, and a “huge beverage variety,” including his favorite: Diet Mountain Dew.
Even though some may not view food days as serious learning, Warren takes pride and passion in his food days. He utilizes his food days to include fun aspects on a day that students can look forward to, while still prioritizing the education of his students. “The students work so hard academically, so it’s a fun, rewarding bonding time to have an amazing food day together,” he said.
