For Kids, By Kids: Should Claxton fifth graders have assigned seats at lunch?

In our March 20 “For Kids, By Kids” issue, the youth speak for themselves. In this collection of essays, Claxton Elementary fifth graders debate whether they should have assigned seats at lunch.

No

I don’t think the fifth graders should have assigned seats — because lunch is a time [when] students should be able to talk to friends quietly. But the problem is, it is way too loud in the cafeteria.

A lot of teachers would probably say we should have assigned seats because they think that we’re the loudest ones in the cafeteria. I disagree.

Lunch is a time [when] you should be able to talk to friends — kind of, get a break from schoolwork while you’re in school. It’s also a time where you eat your lunch and talk where you’re allowed to talk too.

It’s kind of a break [where you don’t] have to do work unless you didn’t do your homework. Then you should have to do it at lunch.

Other grades are loud too. Why are we the only ones who will get assigned seats at lunch? We will talk more in class because we didn’t get to talk to our friends at lunch. It will be much louder in class. Or maybe it won’t be that loud because the teachers will probably give us silent lunch and/or laps. If we get assigned seats we will probably learn not to ever be loud in the cafeteria again. …

A lot of kids don’t want assigned seats. … What if you don’t get along with the person that the teachers put you with? Then there will be problems. — by Cherish Reid

Yes

Most kids say they should be able to sit where ever they want. But lately the lunchroom has gotten very loud. So I would like it to be quieter. …

Most kids say “no assigned seats,” because of things like not being able to sit next to friends, or sitting next to somebody you don’t like. Others might say that lunch is supposed to be a free time to talk. For these reasons, most kids say they should not have assigned seats.

I disagree, because by sitting next to someone you don’t know or don’t like, you could make friends with them. Even if you’re not sitting next to your best friend, you can always talk to the people around you. The lunchroom would not be as loud. If we do this, the teachers will combine all the fifth-grade classes at lunch, so we can sit next to the other classes. You also have to learn some time in your life to be with someone you don’t like.

One solution is that you can talk to the people around you. Another one is that you can talk at recess and not only lunch. My last solution is that on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we have assigned seats; but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we don’t have assigned seats. I strongly think we should have assigned seats. — by David Mahan

No

The problem is that the cafeteria is way too loud. Some people have complained about our noise level and said we aren’t being good examples to the younger grades. Other people say that we shouldn’t have assigned seats because they think lunch is like a break from school when you can socialize with friends so you don’t do it in class. I have thought about both opinions and decided I don’t think we should have assigned seats at lunch.

The fifth-grade teachers have considered giving us assigned seats for a few of these reasons: Usually, when you choose where you sit, you sit by your friends and you’re usually louder by your friends. Also, if you have assigned seats you might make new friends out of your usual social bubble.

I disagree. Although some of these reasons make sense, I think kids need lunchtime for taking a break and relaxing from schoolwork and stress. Another reason is, if you get assigned [to sit] by someone you really don’t get along with, you might get in trouble cause of them. Also, if really loud people get assigned seats by each other, then it will be über loud and that won’t help the situation at all.

So, considering all my thoughts, I hope you agree that the fifth grade should not have assigned seats in the cafeteria. I think that a solution is laps or silent lunch [for those who are too loud]. — by Lucy Tax

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27 thoughts on “For Kids, By Kids: Should Claxton fifth graders have assigned seats at lunch?

  1. Tyler

    I Tyler had to sit in assined seats for 3 weeks by the same people that was bad

    By Tyler lee

  2. Unknown user

    I agree with not having assigned seats. You should definetly be able to sit by a friend or not sit by someone you despise of. The rule of “assigned seats” is TOTALLY unfair. Not only the fact that assigned seats mean you might be bored all of lunch, talking to someone who is talking to their friends, ignoring you, it could cause more school fights/arguements, all because of an unfair school rule

  3. Taylor Igleheart

    I think they should. Studies show that it deprives students of social skill they will need later in life. If schools decide where students sit, we could end up having less people sit at the table we were assigned to, thus making no friends.

    This is the only time of day we can socialize with our friends. In every class, we have assigned seating. Really the only way we can socialize with our friends is using our phones, but the teachers are already taking those away from us.

    Some students say that most of the time we end up sitting next to a bully or a mean person that is not a good person to be friends with. This lets the bully or mean person pick on you or be rude to you. Telling the teachers does not help, either. Most teachers just say “ Just ignore them,” or “Tell them to stop.”

    Teachers and parents think that it is a bad idea to have freedom because they think we can make some new friends with meeting new people in assigned seating. They think that is prevents bullying, when really, we could end up sitting next to a bully or someone who is not the best influnces as friends.

    Assigned seating seperates us from our peers and creates a sense of lonliness and keeps us from growing in our current friendships.

  4. why u bully me brother

    I sat next to a kid picking his booger for the whole time and eating it I was like what do you mean brother

  5. jaya montana

    i think that they should not have seats because maybe you have someone at the table that you dislike and it is not fair to the kids that behave.

  6. Lily S.

    Im a seventh grader not a fifth grader and we still have assigned seating just because people get up without asking or people throw food.

    • Giuliana

      I’m a 5th grader, and one kid threw food across the lunch room and we had to have assigned seats in the lunch room, assigned spots in line going EVERYWHERE. But the kid who threw food across the lunch room didn’t even get punished for it. His class also didn’t have to have assigned spots going places other that going to lunch. That is when everyone has to have assigned spots in the lunch room.

  7. holly

    it gives us more independence and self control to not sit with people we do not behave with.

  8. becca

    not being able to sit with your other friend at lunch is wong g+p dose not let us

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