Round Rock Teacher Vows Lunch With Each Of Her Students

ROUND ROCK, TX — A Round Rock ISD teacher has vowed to eat lunch with 120 of her students, according to a published report.

Elizabeth Rodriguez told KXAN she got the idea of dining one-on-one with all her Deerpark Middle School students during a school training with National Educators for Restorative Practices.

The informal meetings are much more than just lunch; the confabs have yielded dividends for both Rodriguez and her students, the teacher told the news station. Her students have opened up to her as they never would in a formal classroom setting while discussing their family lives, hobbies, favorite foods and other matters important to children, the news station reported.

But more than that, many students have unburdened themselves to the stresses of being a child in a modern age with others expressing their greatest joys in planning their futures. Rodriguez said she's had students become emotional during the honest exchanges as they share their fears, providing a healthy outlet for their emotions rather than bottling them in.

The teacher's hope is to be seen by her students not just as a figure of authority but a trusted ally and caring confidante. More than offering food for the body, the meetings have provided nourishment for the soul.

>>> Read the full story at KXAN