How Teachers Can Put Breakfast First

Teacher

As a teacher, you are a primary role model for your students. Encouraging your students to eat breakfast at school is key to all aspects of student performance. You know that no other meal is as important as a healthy breakfast. Breakfast assures that each and every student is prepared to learn. Research shows that schools that offer breakfast have an increase in API scores, less trips to the school nurse, and less absences and tardiness. Consider making the School Breakfast Program your top priority. There are many innovative ways you can help to increase access, participation, and quality in the School Breakfast Program.

Here are a few ideas:

one

Be a voice to make sure your school offers breakfast. If your school doesn't offer breakfast, find out why not. Every school, including those with small percentages of free and reduced price students, needs to offer breakfast. Teachers know the value of breakfast to learning, just like pencils and books; so your voice may be critical to starting the School Breakfast Program at your school.

two

Select from the range of strategies to increase participation for students in your classroom:

  • Ask your district's food service director or cafeteria staff to actively involve students, teachers and parents in tasting foods and assisting with menu development on a regular basis. Hold a class "contest" to challenge and recognize each student who eats breakfast at school every day during the month. 
  • If your school site has a free and reduced price population of at least 80%, ask your school principal about Provision 2/3 to eliminate tickets, pricing, and long lines.
  • Give Classroom Breakfast a try! Teachers love classroom breakfast because it ensures students are ready to learn. By feeding all children at their desks, universal classroom breakfasts reduced tardiness and improves morning attendance.
  • Suggest Second Chance Breakfast to your principal. By offering school breakfast during morning recess, students who didn't eat before school are able to get a nutritious meal in the morning.
  • Suggest Grab 'n Go breakfasts on the run to your principal.
  • Suggest offering Breakfast on the Bus to your principal, for those students with long morning commutes to school.
three

Suggest to your district that the food service department utilize creative procurement ideas to add more fresh fruits and vegetables to each breakfast tray. A variety of new collaborations might work: farm to school programs, the Department of Defense produce initiative, as well as co-ops to coordinate commodities with other districts within your county, have proven successful at increasing fresh choices and more variety.
four

Involve the school’s parent teacher association or site council.  Ask your PTA president to put the School Breakfast Program on the agenda for an upcoming PTA meeting. This is a great opportunity for the school to gather input on ways to increase participation, as well as to provide parents with education materials on the value of breakfast at school.

five

Identify a Breakfast Champion on the school board. Often a champion on the school board can increase visibility of the school breakfast program, as well as advance specific changes, such as initiating classroom breakfast.

six

Ask for assistance. Look at these links below to see how you can incorporate some of these innovative ideas into your school's breakfast program.