Yum, it's snack time!

It was cornbread today for snack today, yum! Ok, I'm just guessing that it tastes good because the children devour it so quickly that I have yet to be able to try any. I'm taking that as a good sign though.

You know what else is good about cornbread though? The crumbs. Yep, that messy part of it actually works perfect with the grace and courtesy lesson my fellow teacher gave today. It was called: "How to have snack". Yes, that is an actual lesson in a Montessori classroom. Along with how to blow your nose, shake hands, introduce a friend, etc. And I will admit that the children probably get the most excited about the snack one.

If you think about it, having snack can be a really long process, even if it's already prepared in individual servings. Some schools simply put out a big bowl or two of whatever is for snack and then use a chalkboard or dry erase board to help the children get the appropriate amount. At our school though we portion out the snack of the day in dixie cups so it's ready to go and doesn't take as much time. However the full cycle of activity is quite long.

Now imagine that you're hungry, and decide that you want to have snack. But before you even get to snack you  need to wash your hands...with soap.
And if there's a line you need to wait in it. Oh, and if there are already 2 children having snack, you need to wait your turn for that too. Then, and only then are you actually ready to pick a snack and sit down. Unless of course you want a drink of water. Then you need to pour yourself a glass from the small pitcher on the hutch and carry it to the table. Ah, refreshing.


But even when you finish eating snack isn't over, oh no. There's crumbs to be swept up, water spills to be sponged dry, and that darn chair to push in. Then you can wash your dishes. Oh, and if there's a line you might have to wait (again!). Scrub that water glass, rinse away the bubbles and place it in the rack to dry. Whew! Now it's time to go back to work...wait...wasn't it a lot of work just to have snack.

Apparently not for some kids, since they decide to have snack twice, even though they are only supposed to have one. Oops!