We were completing a super fun STEM activity on Friday. The kiddos were building a nest for two peeps. The nest was unifix cubes, a cup on top, pipe cleaners, and the birds sat on top the pipe cleaners. It was a challenging but fun activity.
The kiddos were BEGGING to eat the peeps they had used in the challenge. I told them no because it was disgusting. There hands had been all over them and a few had stuck pipe cleaners in them.
Every time we do activities with food, even if I tell them NOT to eat it, I have a child who will dig whatever it is out of the trash can and eat it. He will pick them up off the floor, even if they have been stepped on, and eat it. It is disgusting. Because of this, I told the kiddos there would be a 10,000 dollar fine for eating ANY peeps, even their own. Thinking this severe consequence would stop this child from eating them. It did. But, another child decided she would eat them.
I tried to convince her not to eat them. I told her she would never get to do store or earn any more money for the rest of the year really. She didn’t care. I told her I would but packages of peeps in the store on Friday that she could buy. She didn’t care. I told her she could not eat them. She didn’t care. Any reason I could think of, she didn’t think it was a good enough reason NOT to eat the peeps. So she ate them.
She gladly handed me her money and took her fine sheet. She then told me, “We are really poor so this is the only thing I will eat today.” That is a lie by the way.
We are having store on Friday. She is going to MELTDOWN. But, I will have to hold strong. I may need to call in my intern coach before we start to be ready to take her down to the office.
I’m pretty nervous for the store. I’m nervous for meltdown city happening again.
Wish me luck. This is not going to end well.
Confessions of a Real Teacher 
I hope you will consider creating this marvelous STEM project again without Peeps. We engineer all the time in my preschool classroom – but I long ago discovered how essential it is to not use food as a tool. Love the STEM work, though! Hope your follow-through with the challenging student went well.
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We LOVE STEM! We complete a STEM activity every other Friday. I really need to stop using food as a tool. It never ends well.
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Oh boy do I get it. They are so in the moment that they cannot see beyond. Today 2 of my lovelies made my teaching harder than usual- erasing directions I had written so another group did not know what to do…so as we headed out to recess they thought they were off the hook. I handed them 2 clipboards to write thoughtful letters of apology and figure out thieir on consequences. THey were shocked because they thought I forgot. They sat on the brick wall writing while their classmates played. I am far from perfect and sometimes I forget, but not this time. Teacher 1, Kids 0. Stick to your guns. Natural consequences rule.
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Lots of learning going on with STEM activities! (Probably after the meltdown, you might decide not to use food unless you also have some on hand to eat after the project…)
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What a fun activity! and yes, best to be prepared for meltdown city.
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