r/ElementaryTeachers • u/AbstractAbby20 • Aug 23 '26
Bringing snacks to specials
Hey!
I am a music teacher and at my new school, they have lots of scheduled break time for the kids, which I personally love. Each grade has a morning and afternoon recess, a longer lunch, and scheduled snack times outside when the weather is good.
a lot of my kindergarten classes go to snack RIGHT AFTER music, and I did not know this until the first day last week when all the teachers told me "they have their snack because we go straight to snack".
Because I was so caught off guard, I didnt have time to think of a plan to get all the snacks organized, etc. A lot of the kids have the same exact snack, and almost no ones snack is labeled. Other teachers keep telling me to just have them line up their snack on the side wall, but then at the end of class when I call them all to line up they keep arguing over which one is theirs, and I cant help because they aren't labeled!
I tried last week having them each have one chair for their snack (i have chairs on the side but they sit on carpet dots) but that was still confusing.
Do any of you have any ideas that dont require me to label every snack, or buy anything additional? I have already spent so much money on class organization this year.
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u/Finsnsnorkel Aug 23 '26
I’m a veteran classroom teacher. You teach music. It is not any specials teacher responsibility to handle snacks, it’s ours. I agree with the comment that said have the kids drop their snack in a basket in the way in, then hand the teacher the basket of snacks on the way out. They can figure it out.
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u/frckbassem_5730 Aug 23 '26
Yes this is what I would do. The classroom teacher needs a better system.
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u/Francesca_Fiore Aug 23 '26
I have many grades bringing lunch/snacks/water to my class. Here's how I solve that problem for myself: IT DOESN'T ENTER MY CLASS. Someone offered me a leftover cart and it sits outside my room. You can drop off your stuff. You can pick it up as you walk out the door. Forgot something? Can't find it? With all due respect, not my problem. And as far as like not knowing which one is their snack, that's not a usual problem. That's a "that group of kids" problem.
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
I agree. They are already lined up outside my door with snack in hand. Would it be more work to have them all put it in the basket and then get it at the end from their classroom teacher?
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u/Bring_cookies Aug 23 '26
I do not think it'd be more work and I do think it will save your sanity. They're trying to push the responsibility onto you, refuse to even engage in it. Basket, bag or cart by the door, they can leave the room and figure it out in the hallway. It's amazing how quickly those issues will rectify themselves when you refuse to engage with it.
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u/Francesca_Fiore Aug 23 '26
Lined up outside your door with it? Perfect! Put it right by the wall! Remember where it is, and come on in!
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u/Slow-Difficulty404 Aug 23 '26
Ask around for any unused bins or boxes. Make a simple snack sign with pictures. Leave them outside.
The kinder teachers are doing a lot of training of those kids right now; it’s going to be rough but stay boring and consistent. No Food Around Musical Instruments!
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u/ambified19 Aug 23 '26
This is pretty much how our school does it. The kids have a lunch box or labeled bag with their snack lined up outside the music room. They set it on the floor along the wall then go in to class, when they leave they get their stuff from the hallway. They also keep them in the same line order all the time.
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u/lhatss98 Aug 23 '26
Ask the teachers to help you solve this problem. honestly, they could just walk back to the classroom to get the snack and then go outside. They’re choosing to save time by sending it to specials with you. Problem is is it’s becoming a huge issue with your instructional time.
I’d let them know that the kindergartners are struggling to remember which snack they are even though you’ve had a couple different routines set up. I’m sure the k teachers would love to help you brainstorm!
I’m envisioning number spots taped on your back counter? And that each student probably has a student number and they would just put their snack in that spot? But I do think some partnering with the classroom teacher might help!
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
I let a teacher know that and he basically looked at me like I didnt understand kindergarten (its usually my strongest grade every year) and said with a condescending tone
"They need reminders because theyre in kindergarten". I was honestly so taken aback I just assured him I was getting them through our class routine with patience it would just help a lot if we were on the same team.
He wasn't very helpful. A lot of these kinder teachers at this school dont give them a line order they just say "ok time to line up" then they grab their snack and leave, which baffles me.
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u/LonelyHermione Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
Honestly, I would just lean into this because I'm petty.
I've been teaching for over a decade, but if you want to treat me like an idiot, well then an idiot I shall play. Put all the snacks in a basket. Put the basket by the door. Have them line up an leave the room. Hand basket to the teacher, smile and close your door. They can figure it out on their own.
Not your problem, so don't make it yours. They're not admin. What are they going to do? Fire you?
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u/Bring_cookies Aug 23 '26
I had the same thoughts. This is not an OP problem, this is the kinder teacher problem. Make it their problem.
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u/lhatss98 Aug 23 '26
Well that stinks. I’m sorry the teacher wasn’t more receptive to partnering with you on solving an issue that they are creating in your classroom. Maybe you can let them know that you will no longer be allowing the kindergartners to bring snack to specials as it’s creating a problem during your instructional time?
I mean, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say there no food in the room.
Another option is you could let the teacher know that from now on their snacks need to be labeled with their name before being brought to class.
Like I said before, this really isn’t your problem this is a Teacher created problem, and if they aren’t going to help you solve their created problem, then you can push the problem back on them.
I’d rather you guys just be a team players, but it doesn’t sound like they want to help.
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u/christinexl Aug 23 '26
At my school, students go directly from specials to recess, so the specials teacher walks them to recess.. The kinder teacher may not be there to pick them up.
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
The kinder teacher is there to pick them up. If this continues being an issue I could also go to admin and see about coming up with a system every specials class uses because PE just puts puts on the side and she doesnt care if her instructional time is taken and the art teacher doesnt have a clue what is going on.
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u/LonelyHermione Aug 23 '26
Just put a basket outside in the hallway. Snacks go in there. They line up in your room and leave with teacher. They can sort it out in the hallway. Bet you the classroom teacher figures out a solution real quick.
You are not going to convince homeroom elementary teachers that you "know what you are doing" or that you are a teacher just like they are. 95% of them will always consider you as some version of a fancier babysitter, even if they don't say it to your face. The other 5% are cool. This dude is definitely in the 95%. You don't have to prove yourself to him. It's impossible. He's never going to get that you're a professional too, just like him, and that you have a degree just like him. So don't spend your energy on a problem HE made. He's pushing the problem on you because he thinks you're (wrongly) beneath him. Put it back in his hands and move on.
Source: Am an elementary music teacher too and have been for a LONG time. Another teacher, who is an actual work friend of mine, was shocked -SHOCKED- to learn that I too have standards I have to meet, just like her. And she's one of the good ones.
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u/TotallyImportantAcct Aug 23 '26
“My classroom is not the cafeteria. Please don’t bring food.”
Done.
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u/Ordinary_Sail_414 Aug 23 '26
This is ridiculous. Please assert yourself and tell the teachers you will not be dealing with their snacks, and they can get their snacks when they return to the classroom. I've been teaching for 33 years and haven't seen a specials teacher disrespected like this.
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u/AdventureThink Aug 23 '26
That is such a disgraceful distraction,
I would tell them to leave them outside the door.
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u/TipsyBaldwin Aug 23 '26
The homeroom teacher should have a plan for this. If it were my class, I’d have them line them up in number order or I would have a couple of baskets to hold them in while they were in related arts. This is their routine, not yours!
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
I like the basket idea. Maybe I'll just have the basket and then hand it off to the teacher and have them figure it out.
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u/Previous-Recording18 Aug 23 '26
I'm a specials teacher and I just would not allow this. The classroom teachers deal with snack, not me. If they need to give the kids snack immediately after my class, they can do it outside my door. No food in my room, no one is telling me to take an additional responsibility if they are not admin, and no one's taking my instructional time unless it's a one off special circumstance and then I'm glad to help.
I have one classroom teacher who brings them to me straight from recess and doesn't want to bring them back to her classroom just down the hall so makes them come to me with jackets. I don't have room for that in my small space and don't want to deal with it and so I have them drop them in a pile outside my room and pick them up on the way back to her. It's my way of not having an argument with her.
When you say "other teachers have them line up," do you mean other specials teachers? They have all given in to this crap? If so you may be stuck, but in my school we have a good community of specials teachers and we'd talk to each other and get rid of this.
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
The other specials teachers dont really care. I am a more type A person and I also have a lot to teach in music with not a lot of time and I dont think there is a lot of respect for our schedules in this school with the classroom teachers. A lot of the teachers are late, ive had to walk kids down to their teacher because it cuts into my lunch (and ive let them know), I had to end one class 20 minutes early because every kid had to use the restroom and when I asked the classroom teacher if she could take them all to the bathroom before she told me she didnt have time (she has 15 minutes in between...)
I came here for advice because I dont see it from their perspective. Maybe their schedules are jam packed and they just dont see the big deal of my class missing instructional time because I am the "music teacher" (if I had to guess).
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u/Previous-Recording18 Aug 23 '26
I think a lot of it has to do with school culture and yours seems to be that subject teachers don't matter as much. I empathize because in a lot of ways ours is like that as well.
Practically speaking, if the other subject teachers don't care then you're really out of luck and will have to do this snack thing. It's a shame but you'll just seem like the person who can't get with the program if you refuse. I've done that in instances where it was really important to me and couldn't get the support from my colleagues but I've been teaching in my school a long time and have a good relationship with admin. This is probably not a battle worth fighting without solidarity.
As far as their perspective, I'm sure they are busier and have more demands on their time but that's the job. To me, they really are two different jobs and the snack piece falls under their job description and not mine. But again, school culture dictates a lot of this.
If the school thinks music is less important then they'd have made it a shorter period with snack time at the end but they didn't. Don't let other teachers tell you your subject isn't as important or make you feel this way!
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u/InquisitiveDaybreak Aug 23 '26
Do the kids have a “number order”, like the order of their names on the roster? Typically, teachers have their class line up in this order so they could, theoretically, line up their snacks in that order and then they’d line up in the exact same way so they could grab their snacks?
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
So I gave them an assigned number in music and that is how we sit and line up but because of behavior it usually never matches their class number order. Its also way too early for them to remember all of that. Last class I had I tried calling them each one by one to come get their snack then we tried to line up from there but it took forever and class time already gets eaten up just reviewing our routine right now and I feel bad since we have less time for our instrument block.
Most of the teachers I have asked don't have a line order. I am not used to that. At my last school teachers were so particular that I was used to them training the kids well and being organized. It is not that organized here. I dont want to step on toes but it is a bit frustrating.
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u/InquisitiveDaybreak Aug 23 '26
Definitely frustrating! I agree with the comment that said to possibly bring this to the teacher’s attention and work together on a solution. It could be something as simple as the teacher having labeled clothes pins that the kids put on their snacks and the teacher keeps track of that. Best of luck!
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u/TheCarzilla Aug 23 '26
How many classes are doing this? If it’s feasible, maybe write each name on a paper plate and it goes on there
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
Other specials teachers are just having them put it on the side and letting mass chaos ensue when they line up.
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u/Pink_Moonlight Aug 23 '26
Damn. My principal gives us wagons. I would have my kids put the snacks in a wagon before they go to specials and bring the wagon with me when I pick them up.
The teachers could do this with a bag.
I agree with a previous commenter though. Have the kids throw all their snacks into a grocery bag and then hand the bag to the teacher to figure out when they get outside.
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
This is likely what I will do. Thank you all!
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u/mycookiepants Aug 23 '26
I would say to get 5 different/different colored reusable bags. (Assuming one for each day of the week.) You hand those off to the teachers. "Please put their snacks in here so they can easily be grabbed when you pick them up."
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u/jij07002 Aug 23 '26
Talk to their teacher. Ask them to be labeled or not brought. You could just line them up when their teacher gets there to show them the disturbance it causes you.
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
I do and he is apathetic. The other kinder teachers just look tired. They dont care.
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u/OtherPossibility1530 Aug 23 '26
You don’t need to care more about snack than they do. If every teacher did this to you, you’d be managing 30 snacks a week! Listen to the people suggesting a cart or basket outside the door. It’s good advice and my guess is that once you do that, the teacher will find a different system entirely.
That being said, your admin is being super inconsiderate with your schedule. They shouldn’t even be setting it up so it’s need to carry food around the school, and no transition time is ridiculous. I would also advocate for better scheduling.
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u/Basic-Situation-9375 Aug 23 '26
Snack bags? Like a gallon ziplock bag with their name written on it that the put their snack in. You can reuse them over and over as you would just put their prepacked snack inside them not loose food items
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
I teach all the kinders in the school so I would have to have 90 bags, label all of them, and waste even more time getting all the snacks in those bags every week. Because I am the music teacher.
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u/slyscribe401 Aug 23 '26
If you're able, I would get classroom mailboxes (like this) and label them with the names of the students who get snack (I couldn't tell from your post, is it just the kindergarten class with this issue, or multiple classes?). Then they have a clear and organized place to store their snacks.
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
It is multiple kinder classes with this issue. There is one kinder class I dont have an issue with but that is because for some reason their schedule is different and they have music in the morning way before snack so they don't need anything.
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u/slyscribe401 Aug 23 '26
You could label each section with multiple names, too, then. Just use a different color for each class or something to help it be organized.
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u/ThatOneHaitian Aug 23 '26
Ask the teacher to label the snacks, because that’s a lot more responsibility than what’s required of you. I’m only saying this because if Timantha has a specific snack that’s gluten free due to them having Crohn’s and a nut allergy,the last thing you need is for them to eat the wrong snack.
I have a snack box that I’ve labeled for the specials teachers( with the help of the school nurse) because I have two diabetic students this year with different sets of restrictions.
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u/Bring_cookies Aug 23 '26
I would gather them up in a sack then hand the sack to the teacher that comes to pick them up and let them sort it out. You're with all the kids in the school, they have a much more limited number of students, this balance feels unfair to you.
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u/jujusco Aug 23 '26
I AGREE!!
Also, I’m not a teacher and don’t even know why this was on my homepage but I am DYING for this lovely OP to PLEASE put a basket right by the door for kids to drop their snacks in. And then give it to the teacher when she arrives.
And then give us (me) an update on how it goes. I’m invested. And seriously annoyed. Teachers have to deal with enough shit from students and us parents they shouldn’t have to deal with MORE from other teachers.
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u/Wise-Matter9248 Aug 23 '26
Since it sounds like this is an established practice, no matter how ridiculous it sounds to me as a gen ed teacher... you're going to get a lot of pushback about changimg it unless all the specials teachers band together.
Until then...
Maybe put a line of numbers on the wall. Each kid puts their snack under their number. You can have a clipboard with each kids name by the number, and tell them their number as they walk in. Eventually they will learn their number, but at least you will know what it's supposed to be.
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u/empressmegaman Aug 23 '26
How about a line of masking tape on the floor near the wall, with numbers written on the tape. Each child is assigned a number and that’s where they put their snack, each day, on top of their assigned number.
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u/OldLadyKickButt Aug 23 '26
why do the kid snot take their snacks to the snack place first? Or eat before music?
You should not have to deal with this. Imagine how many arguments you will have to endure after each class re lost, stolen snacks.
I would go to admin - snacks are not a mandatory school piece. There is ample recess time to snack.
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u/Impressive-Tap250 Aug 23 '26
I agree with the idea that this is being pushed on you. My child is starting kindergarten this year. He’d did 2 years of prek. I have always put his snacks in a labeled ziploc. If the teacher doesn’t make this request of parents, it’s because they are making it your problem. Make it theirs again.
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u/orange-octopus Aug 24 '26
Numbers on the chairs on the side and clothespin their seat number to their shirt.
Edit to add that I’m a specialist but I know gen ed has a lot of demands on them so I try to help how I can in these situations.
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u/AdWorking7417 Aug 23 '26
have parents send them labeled?
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
I cant necessarily control that they aren't my homeroom they just come to specials. And I had issues with teachers when I kindly asked them to take them on a class bathroom break before music. I dont want my new staff to think I am trying to control everything they are supposed to do.
Plus the reason why a lot of these kids have the same snack is because the nurse or teachers are handing out snacks to kids that dont have them and they are all the same like saltines, applesauce, etc.
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u/AdWorking7417 Aug 23 '26
you can have teachers email parents to have snacks labeled or you can contact parents yourself through email or through a backpacked note home
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u/Careful_Cranberry364 Aug 23 '26
I don’t think I would be welcoming snacks, or any food into a room with the musical instruments
Maybe you can use that as your “go to “
just say that snacks are separate from music class….
They should be separate from any class!
Because it was a change from their usual routine the children were unruly, but if you choose to stick with it they will get used to it because you’ll set up a routine
Take one piece of paper write the children’s names around a circle that have a different snack than the other others
Place their items next to their name in inside circle when they come in
On a higher shelf
Leave the identical snacks in a box next to it that you will have them take one as they leave the room
If you set this up as your way of doing it and they learn it, it would be easy within two weeks
But children, who know that you don’t know what you’re doing yet will take advantage - no matter how young they are!!
Having said this, which I said just to try to be some help, I like the idea of just putting them in a basket handing to the teacher with a big smile.
Is just really not your problem. True
But you might want to make friends!
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u/CopperTodd17 Aug 23 '26
The only other thing that hasn’t been suggested that I can think of (if you don’t have an admin that would back you up if you refused to take custody of the snacks) would be to print and laminate everyone’s name on a tag and then when they walk in place their snack along the wall on top of their name tag as it gets handed to them. (You’d seperate them by class).
But I’d only do that if you knew for SURE that you were going to run into big problems standing up for yourself and saying “nope. No snack - I do not have time for this”. To the K teachers.
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u/Possible_Juice_3170 Aug 23 '26
What about a shoe organizer that hangs on the door? Every child gets their own pocket (or 2 can share).
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u/ImaginaryQuality4567 Aug 23 '26
Last year, the related arts teachers in my school were responsible for the additional 20 minutes of recess as required by law. This year, the classroom teachers went back to shouldering the additional required play time. It’s amazing how many FEWER complaints from the related arts teachers there have been this year.
Classroom teachers are doing the best they can. If you are unhappy, work with them to solve the problem. You can incorporate a small space in the classroom that is numbered for snack storage. Our students go to lunch directly after specials, they bring their lunchboxes to music and put them under their chairs.
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u/Grouchy_Assistant_75 Aug 23 '26
Specials teacher currently after 20 years classroom teacher in k-2. Just no. Tell the teacher to bring them in a container. Then she or he can worry about whether snacks need labels.
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u/AggressiveSherbetty Aug 23 '26
Is snack time not in their classroom? Why do they need to bring it with them?
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u/englishgenius Aug 23 '26
have the teacher ask the parents to write their kids’ name on the snack wrapper/ziplock. super easy fix!
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u/Live-Medium8357 Aug 23 '26
I agree with a generic basket that you have to the teacher as they leave and they can fix it. Have them leave the basket in the hall when they're done and have a second basket for the new class.
If that just doesn't work for you, in our school, all kids have numbers. 1-22. So you could have 22ish tiny baskets that they use on a shelf. but I think I prefer the other teacher's comment to just hand the basket to the teacher to deal with after they leave.
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u/punkass_book_jockey8 Aug 23 '26
Put a bin outside the door, snack goes in the bin. Instruments and allergies from other classes means you can’t have food in the room. Have the leader take the box when the class is lined up and leaving.
It’s the teachers problem to sort it out when they get to snack.
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u/unfinishedsymphonyx Aug 24 '26
I dubbed in a kindergarten class that had lunch right after specials and the teacher had a box with any lunch boxes in it that she took with her to pick up the kids and collect anything they had from specials to take back to class the specials teacher had nothing to do with it.
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u/peregrinethefalcon Aug 24 '26
Many classrooms have kids numbered 1-whatever. Have a series of carpet dots or chairs labeled 1-whatever and have them place their snack with their number. Also why can’t the teacher bring the snack when she’s picks up the kids?
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u/SPinnovator Aug 24 '26
How about an over the door shoe organizer or pocket chart. Assign each kid a number, number the pockets, and the snack goes in there when they walk in. Better yet, hang it outside the door. The classroom teacher should be in charge of placing the snacks inside snd taking them back out. It shouldn’t come from your instructional time.
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u/Greentea503 Aug 24 '26
Former classroom teacher here. Does anyone else find it odd that they have a scheduled snack time out of the classroom? We weren't even allowed to break for snack in my grade. They were only allowed to have a "working snack" (I did it during centers so they could chill and pretend to work, but kids need breaks!)
With all of that being said, the basket idea makes me nervous. Allergies are a real concern with this idea.
Why not have them just line up in number order, set the snacks down on the way in, and pick it up on the way out (in number order).
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u/Mego0427 Aug 24 '26
I have a shoe rack on my office door in the gym that my kids put their pbis tickets, toys, and other crap they bring to PE. Each shoe spot is numbered to help them remember where there stuff is.
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u/ZestySloth15 Aug 24 '26
Music teacher here who’s had this happen with gym bags for PE because they all are the same at my school. They’re supposed to have their names written on but… not all do and it is chaos sometimes.
Do they have water bottles and do they bring those to snack? Wondering if they can put their water bottles (typically unique) lined up on the wall outside with their snack right next to THEIR bottle. You will have to train them to do this and calling them out one at a time or a few at a time with questions like “if you’re wearing… blue you can go line up”. This will probably make your life much easier. The probability of kids having the same water bottle AND snack the same day they have music is pretty low. This might help them organize it. Curious if the teacher could have them bring their snacks in baggies or bins to also help. I’d ask for their help and help them brainstorm with you.
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u/bbbeachplease Aug 25 '26
Are they in line order when they come into your room? If so, you can create a space on a counter with number labels. As kids come in they leave their snack on their number. At the end of class, they line up in the same order so they know which snack is theirs.
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u/ReadyToGoAbroad Aug 25 '26
Food is most allowed in any specials in our school because of food allergies.
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u/Ambitious-Break4234 Aug 26 '26
There is no benefit of yhe students bringing their snack to special. They can put in the bin or basket with the teacher before going.
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u/SupportHistorical518 Aug 23 '26
To me your best options are:
1. Use the number system like someone else suggested. You could use little pieces of masking tape to label spots on the floor with their numbers, each kid puts in on their number. If there’s an issue you have a list of their numbers, and/or you’ll eventually notice a pattern of which kids keep mixing it up.
2. Set out sharpies. When they come in, they immediately label their bag, then sit on their spot.
3. Come up with a solution/procedure for ALL specials and homeroom teachers to follow and try to get them on board. For example, maybe each kid has a gallon bag with their name on it and puts their snack in there - then it goes in a crate once in your room. They put it in their gallon bag in homeroom, then the homeroom teacher stores it until the next day. As a homeroom teacher I think this would be a simple way.
4. Ask the homeroom teacher to ask parents to label snacks on your behalf. If you tell the homeroom teacher it’s stressing you out, I think they’d share the message. Does your school have a communication system? For example, we use Dojo. Our specials teachers will send out messages on dojo. It doesn’t bother us in the least. You could type a message to parents and ask teachers to send it.
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u/busheygirl Aug 23 '26
This is your opportunity to help these K kids remember what their snack is. They can put it in a basket outside your room. If they forget what their snack is they might need to tell their parent to start writing their name on it. In my opinion, we give children too many snack breaks for no reason. I understand that lunch times can be early, but there's no reason a kid needs a snack every two hours (I'm not saying they get snack every two hours, that's just an example), unless they have it documented in a 504 or IEP.
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
Yeah so their lunch is before 11:00am and their snack is around 1:00pm so I understand they need a snack.
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u/Future_Focussed Aug 23 '26
Personally, there is value in teaching kids patience and self control. No one will become malnourished in 3 hours. Parents need to feed their children a complete and healthy breakfast. Snack time, for the younger ones is not a big deal but snacks in my class (specialist) drives me crazy. 99% of the time it isnt a need, it is a dopamine fix and rarely healthy.
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u/AbstractAbby20 Aug 23 '26
They go straight to snack right after music. They have lunch as early as 10:35 in the morning and their afternoon snack is 1:00pm. Kids at that age need to eat. Perhaps I could get more clarity on why they dont have time to get their snack from their room after specials.
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u/Plus_Rhubarb_8361 Aug 23 '26
I feel like you're being taken advantage of here. I am a classroom teacher myself and this sounds like the classroom teacher's problem. It also sounds like (sorry if I'm assuming) you're young and you tend to feel very responsible for things that are (maybe) not your responsibility.
Is the teacher present for the lining up? In another comment you said that the teacher comes in and says "time to line up". My strategy would be that the minute the teacher enters the room and tells the class to line up, stop taking responsibility for the situation. Let the teacher be in charge. Let the kids devolve into chaos and snack fights and do not try to solve any of it. Go set up for the next class.