Case
Hungry

A boy in my class during my ESOL practicum cries every day around the same time that he is so hungry. What should I do?

Solution #1
Top Solution
Hi Mynuqy, I would definitely talk to your supervising teacher to see if he/she is aware of this problem. I would also ask the student why he is hungry, if he ate breakfast or lunch today, if he has money for lunch today, etc. If I were you, I would ask the teacher if he/she knows whether the student is qualified for reduced/free lunch. If he is not getting free lunch, then you may recommend that the CT talk to the social worker or someone at the school that has connections to resources that may help the student. If he does get free lunch, then you and your CT may want to establish a system where he is monitored at lunch to make sure he is eating. Are you only visiting the class once a week and is it possibly on Mondays? Maybe he has food when he is at school but is not able to eat on the weekends when he does not have access to school meals. Again, maybe your teacher could talk to the social workers who may have connections to soup kitchens/non profit organizations that donate food to families. I know of an organization called End 68 Hours of Hunger that does this. Melissa

i agree, defiantly talk with the teacher or have someone at the school get in touch with a social worker.

Solution #2
Top Solution
You can talk to the student and see if he is eating lunch or at least eating throughout the day. You can talk to his teacher and see if this is an ongoing thing in the classroom. As other people have said, you can keep small snacks in the classroom for the students, but not snacks for everyday. This is something small on occasion.

I agree with your solution.

Solution #3
This needs to be brought to the attention of the teacher, first. You always have to be careful before giving snacks to a student because you may not know if there are any present food allergies or not. The teacher should have this information and know they best course of action to take from here. It is possible that the family is experiencing some financial issues or troubles at home that may need the attention of a school counselor or administration.
Solution #4
I would talk to the supervising teacher and develop a solution to this problem. He may not be eating breakfast and lunch at school, so I would monitor this. Unfortunately, you cannot really access his personal information to find out if he is qualified for free breakfast and lunch, but if he is qualified, I would find a way to make sure he eats. I would also advise you, as an intern of sorts, to stay away from providing food for the student.
Solution #5
This is a touchy subject because their are many families who cannot provide the adequate amount of food for their children to function in school and at home. These families often do not speak up for fear of judgement and shame but their children never the less suffer. It is a good idea to speak with your supervising teacher about the students background and normal behaviors. It is possible that they are trying to pull a "one-over" on you because you re new to the classroom but there is also a possibility that there is a more serious issue. You should first determine if this is normal behavior and if so, what the teacher has done to change this. If this is an actually issue there are programs the student can be part of that send food home on the weekends and the student will receive free breakfast and lunch throughout the year as well as school breaks. The teacher should be able to determine this and if not you calling attention to it should provide the push the teacher needs to further inspect it. It is not always wise to over step your supervising teacher so asking to go to administration before hand is always a good idea. You can keep a supply of food in case students come late to school and cannot make breakfast or miss lunch but you should not give these students snacks throughout the day unless specified by the school.
Solution #6
it is important to know what is going on with the student. it is important to know if he has diabetes to know if he needs to eat due to sugar levels. it is important to know if he is eating at home, or eating breakfast in the morning. if he is eating at home and at school then you need to discuss with your teacher what is happening with the student.
Solution #7
I would bring in snacks for him so that he doesnt have to worry about being hungry during the class time.
Solution #8
Depending on the time of day, I would simply ask him if he is eating breakfast and lunch. If not, I would reach out to make sure he can receive a free or reduced school breakfast and lunch so that he is getting proper nutrition. If he is eating both breakfast and lunch and still complaining then I would reach out to his parents to see if there is something else going on that is causing him to cry out for food after eating. Lastly, if that still does not work maybe reward the student with a small snack for completing assignments on occasion.
Solution #9
Ask your teacher to maybe have a class snack time. I know this case is only one student, but a teacher I work with always has a little snack time when the students are working on assignments. Both teachers I work with give out a little snack and they said it helps the students concentrate more in case they did not eat that day.
Solution #10
Bring in snacks for kids that are hungry.
Solution #11
I would ask the teacher if this is something she is aware of, and if not ask the boy if he is hungry. If he is crying because he says he's hungry I would say he is, and this is sad. Maybe there is something in place that can happen to where he is able to get lunch every day at school without being charged.
Solution #12
Maybe change your schedule and add in a snack break for all students if this doesn't help call his parents to see if he is eating enough at home.
Solution #13
I would talk to the teacher and see if you are allowed to bring in a classroom snack.
Solution #14
you should bring him snacks if possible. some students come from poor families and do not get to eat three times a day. try to get donations as well if possible.
Solution #15
I would contact the teacher and your school about free and reduced meal for this student. At my internship the kids get served breakfast and lunch for free and some even get a pack to take to eat at home. There should be resources the school has to help feed the child.
Solution #16
Ask the student if he eats breakfast and maybe provide snacks around that time
Solution #17
My first step would be to see if the child can bring in a snack from home that they can eat discreetly during this time of the day. If nothing changes, I would send home a (translated) note to see if anything can be sent in. As a last resort, I would purchase small snacks I can give the student. Although this may be an inconvenience, it is easier to feed the child and help them feel better than to keep them from eating if they are truly hungry.
Solution #18
Talk to the student and see if hes eating breakfast and lunch and go from there.
Solution #19
I would bring food into the classroom each week so that students who are very hungry are able to eat something. Make sure that the student does not have allergies.
Solution #20
Talk to the student and try to figure out what is going on.
Solution #21
I think you should bring snacks into classroom and give them to the students who need them also in the morning tell them about free breakfast.
Solution #22
As teachers, it is our job to advocate for the children we teach. Hunger is debilitating and when students experience it school becomes much harder. I would definitely talk with the teacher and see if she is aware of the situation and if anything has been done to help. I would ask permission to investigate by chatting with the child the next time the comment is made about being hungry. I would try to see if the family would be accepting or willing to take help. As a teacher I will be sure to keep up on community resources and websites that offer accurate information. I will get lists of food banks in the area and information about other help. Meanwhile, I will inform the school social worker or other school professional who should be made aware of this. In collaboration or independently( whichever is most appropriate) I would put together a package with some food in it the child could take home. I would be sure to arrange giving it to the student in the most private way possible. I will set up processes to ensure hunger does not prevent the students from doing their best in school.
Solution #23
He may not have any food at home. Possibly you can have the cafeteria make a lunch for him to have to take home or in class.
Solution #24
Always have snacks in class in case this student is hungry. This student might not be getting enough food at home and a little nourishment through out the day can help them stay focused.
Solution #25
I would discuss this with the cooperating teacher and get the social worker involved. I would suggest getting the student involved in some kind of program with the school related to getting meals provided at school, or sent home over the weekend.. If these solutions have already been implemented, I would try to figure out why he is still coming to class hungry if meals are being provided.
Solution #26
He might not be eating breakfast or lunch. Talk to supervisor or the lead teacher about it.
Solution #27
This issue needs to be discussed with the teacher and the counselor/school social worker. They can find out deeper if there is anything going on at home.
Solution #28
I would speak with your CT and see if this has been an ongoing problem or if the student is trying to take advantage of you in the classroom. I would see if the CT offers a snack time (depending on the grade level you are in) and then speak to the child and find out if he has eaten that day. Many schools offer free breakfast and lunch programs and he may be entitled to meals if he is not eating properly at home.
Solution #29
I would ask the teacher if they know about the childs situation, see if they are eating at home or if they have lunch money.
Solution #30
I think that it would be beneficial to talk to the CT and explain your concerns. See if the teacher knows what's going on with the student at home. While you may not be able to bring food for your student every single day maybe you can see if the student is able to received free lunch through the school.
Solution #31
Some students we do not know what type of background they are coming from or even their home life. Some of these kids who cry out for being hungry may not have had the opportunity to eat or even the resources to eat a balanced meal. Personally I plan to keep light snacks that I can provide for my students who need some food to help them get the energy they need to persevere to work.
Solution #32
I would speak with bring this to my CT's attention and go in during lunch and observe if the student is eating. If the problem continues I would ask the CT to contact the parents and let them know of the situation and see if they are able to send in a snack. I would see if my school provided a program that supplied snacks to students that may be in need to help with this issue.
Solution #33
I would find out if he ate lunch. I also carry snacks in the classroom for this reason. I have some students who only eat at school. Before tests, I try to give every student a snack ( avoids singling out certain students). You could speak to the parents about this and see if maybe they need services or help?
Solution #34
I would discuss with the parents that the student is hungry and see if they can send snacks to school with the student. If the parents cannot afford to do so and you can, with the parents approval I would bring in snacks for the student or talk to the cafeteria/admin to see if they have extra.
Solution #35
Since you are in your ESOL practicum, and not the teacher yet, it wouldn't be a good idea to call the parents, but you could find out what he likes and bring him snacks.
Solution #36
I would make sure that he is being given free lunch and I would have some snacks in your classroom like granola bars or gold fish
Solution #37
Send him to the guidance counselor. This is an issue that is ethically out of your hands.
Solution #38
Designate a time in the day for snack time. Send flyers home asking parents to donate money or a list of snack donation ideas. This way you as the teacher don't have to spend a lot of money on snacks. The dollar tree has a lot of snacks for literally a dollar. When I'm a teacher I'm going to stalk up on snacks from there because they're good size and super cheap - you get a lot for your money.
Solution #39
Snacks. In all of my internship and practicum classes, and there is a lot, all teachers have bucket loads of snacks. They so much I am not sure how any child is ever hungry. He is probably not eating breakfast, and not getting to school in time enough to eat breakfast. Even if he is, it doesn't matter. You should have your CT contact his parents and ask about his eating habits so you as a teacher can better help him with his education. You can bring in snacks too, as long as they are approved by your ESOL practicum teacher and the administration. Unless of course your school says this is not allowed? I don't see why feeding students would be against the policy, though.
Solution #40
Perhaps you could email his family and see if you can figure out why he is hungry. Also you could keep small snacks in your classroom to give to your student.