Elementary school teacher reveals why he eats lunch with his kids in the cafeteria every day

An educator who never wants to see children lonely has taken his job to heart, truly dedicating himself to their service. A fifth-grade instructor named Dan Shutes, who goes by @danshutes on TikTok, revealed why he likes to have lunch with kids every day instead of spending time at his office or with his colleagues.

The educator surprised the online community with his effective way of connecting with young minds on a personal level. The video opened with Shutes revealing that he pops into the cafeteria at the Paw Paw Public School District in Michigan. The 32-year-old shared, “I know what some of you are thinking—'What about your prep time? What about your planning? Do you get anything done? Are you crazy?’ I get it.”

The elementary school teacher explained he had no stress spending time with students as it was the beginning of the year. “I know I can grade papers; I know I can check my email. I know I can eat my food in peace and quiet. It’s really not that big a deal,” he continued. The educator went on to say that he had been following this ritual for almost a decade now.

“In the eight years of doing this, this is the most effective thing that I have, to get to know my students on a personal level. Way more effective than the ‘all about me’ activities, which I still give—they’re dope, don’t get me wrong,” the teacher told his 1.8 million followers. Following this, the 5th-grade educator recalled a memorable incident he recently shared with his students.

During lunchtime, Shutes was chit-chatting with the kids when suddenly others started demanding his company. “I sat down next to a couple of my new kids. Instantly, two or three more down the table were like, ‘Hey, can you eat lunch with me tomorrow? Can you sit with me the next day?’ and I said, ‘Absolutely, mark me down,’” the all-smiles teacher explained further. He emphasized that teaching as a profession requires building a relationship with every single kid who walks in the door.

Highlighting the reason for him choosing the lunch period for bonding with young lads, Shutes told TODAY that it was the best time. “There’s definitely a more natural version of each kid because it’s not scripted. There are rules and an expectation in the cafeteria, but it’s an organized freedom,” the outlet quoted the Michigan educator as saying. Apart from having a meal, Shutes also stands in the queue with them.

Additionally, the educator claimed that he often questions the students about their siblings, hobbies and the latest in music or sports. “There is always a Q&A session going on when I eat lunch with the kids,” Shutes told the outlet, adding, “They want to know more about me as a person, a college athlete, what it was like when I was a kid, and who’s cooler—me or my twin brother.” Shutes’ video talking about him regularly having “normal kid conversations” has garnered over 500K views, sparking reactions from online scrollers.

Among them, @jschaub2311 wrote, “The world needs more teachers like you!” Extending compliments, @christyjohnston4 said, “Thank you so much for being the teacher you are.” Another educator (@makenziehanson) remarked, “This is why I eat lunch in my room each day with students. I’m in special education and our kids feel more comfortable in there. We talk and bond over meals like most humans do!”

You can follow Dan Shutes (@danshutes) on TikTok for more educational content.