Dan Shutes has been an educator for 11 years, and started his special lunchtime tradition a few years into his role
Dan Shutes, an educator from Paw Paw, Michigan, eats lunch with his 5th grade class almost everyday.
The tradition began a couple of years ago, and since then Shutes has shared more about why he started doing this on social media.
The teacher says it’s great to hear how he’s inspiring teachers in other states and even around the world to eat lunch with their students, too.
Dan Shutes, an educator from Paw Paw, Michigan, has a lunchtime routine that stands out: he brings chicken and rice every day. And he eats it in the cafeteria, alongside his students.
Almost every afternoon, Shutes joins his 5th grade class — along with the rest of his school's 5th graders — in the lunchroom. The 32-year-old, who has been teaching for almost 11 years, started the tradition a few years ago.
“I didn’t expect a bunch of kids to say, ‘Hey, can you eat lunch with me tomorrow?’ or ‘Can you eat lunch with me the next day?’ But that’s how it’s been,” Shutes tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I eat lunch in the cafeteria definitely three to four times a week. It’s something I enjoy, and it’s become part of my routine, especially at the beginning of the year.”
“It’s a priority for me. I think it’s an easy way to get to know your students beyond just names and test scores from the previous year,” he continues.
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During lunch, Shutes’ class is split into three different tables. Each day, he makes his way from table to table, and occasionally he’ll venture over to his teaching partner’s class to eat with them.
“Sometimes, students from other classes that I don’t actually teach will ask if they can sit with me, and I try to find time to do that too," he continues. "Whether they’re siblings of former students or I’ve just seen them in passing and gotten to know them over time, it’s nice to connect with kids who aren’t in my classes but who I see every morning as they walk down the hallway.”
Recently, Shutes posted a video on TikTok about his lunchtime routine; the clip now has 380,000 views and 1,600 comments. He says it’s great to hear that he’s inspiring teachers in other states and even around the world to eat lunch with their students.
“Of course, you occasionally see negative remarks too. I guess it’s a good reminder that there will always be people who disagree or have a problem with what you’re doing," he says. "Overall, it’s been cool and I’m appreciative to have a platform that allows my video to reach so many people. The positive comments are especially nice to hear.”
“I have kids come back and say hello, or greet me at football games or in the grocery store when they see me," he says. "I also see students who start the school year as a bit shy or reserved, and if eating lunch with them helps them come out of their shell or grow more confident, then that small act of simply sharing lunch can end up being quite significant by the end of the year."
"So if I were to distill this into one central message, it would be this: teachers, educators and coaches shouldn’t underestimate the impact of the little things — the small deeds we do for our students," he adds. "They often appreciate these gestures far more than we realize.”
Although Shutes has many fond memories from eating in the cafeteria, one stands out the most. Last year, during the first or second week of school, he was walking between lunch tables carrying his chicken and rice when his flimsy paper plate collapsed.
“It fell all over the top of one of my brand-new students. We had been in school for maybe a week, and I was mortified," he says. "I thought, ‘Oh no, I just dumped my lunch all over this poor girl!’ But she took it like a champ and was a good sport about it. Of course, everyone around us was laughing, and while I was extremely embarrassed, we ended up laughing it off. It became something we joked about for the rest of the school year.”
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