Blue Plate Specials: Staple, Modest but Hearty Classroom Fare

This is the time of year where we as teachers have exhausted our budget and are down to the final supplies for the year. To me this is a challenge not a hindrance. I am not a wealthy woman, of course not, I am a teacher, so making do with what I have, and stretching a dollar is a part of my being, my soul. The other night I was eating at an amazing, affordable diner and I noticed written on the menu board was a “blue-plate special.” This of course brought about a conversation with my kids about the origin of this style of meal.  So, the teacher in me kicked in and I gave them a quick rendition of its coming to be. A “Blue Plate Special,” is a US phrase which connotes economy rather than extravagant luxury. A hearty meal where all the basic food groups are represented on one segmented plate. It is hearty and tasty and delivered in a quick fashion for travelers on the move. The attraction for the customer, originally, was a complete meal at a low price, and the restaurant could base the special on ingredients it either happened to have on hand (perhaps combined as meat loaf, goulash, etc.) or could obtain in quantity at a good price. In other words, being able to use everything at their disposal and tighten one’s belt.

This inspired me. I have a makerspace with odds and ends of thread, paper, sparkles and play-doh (you name it it’s probably in there). I have small white-boards (instead of paper) and small broken crayons and colored pencils are embedded in every bucket. So I asked myself, self, how can I get rid of this mish-mash and use it purposefully within the next few weeks? Hence “blue-plate special” my classroom using what is at hand. My mind is racing at the thought of simple activities both interactive and engaging but also portioned, quick bursts, like the segmented trays of a blue-plate meal. These warm-ups or brain breaks can be snacks, full feasts, deserts, even picnic style where we go outside to partake. But they are all based around the “left-overs.” It just takes an easy repurposing and even the most ignored ingredient (or supply) can be the headliner. Cotton balls, glitter and pipe cleaners can become Star Wars planets in the blink of an eye.

This type of economic fare also had to be good. Hearty and enjoyable or people would not continue purchasing it. Like a classroom has to be balanced between visual, kinesthetic, auditory and hands-on and technology, a “blue-plate special” has portions of food that cover the different food groups, each a portion of a well-balanced meal. Usually, smothered in gravy, (the engagement), which covered the day old bread, meatloaf or watery potatoes. The gravy binding the meal together into an appetizing feast. Travelers are always hungry for sustenance and students are always famished and athirst for new knowledge and experiences. So why not use the tools and supplies we have at our disposal to formulate an out-of-the-box task. One we might not ordinarily do. Keep our students energized and invested. They do love to tinker and construct things. Why not use the scraps of paper to create art? Use paper clips to create a food chain.

Blue plate specials continued to be popular long after their inception in the 1930’s because they were a workable compromise between the needs of a fast-paced working society and consumers accustomed to eating a meat-and-potatoes “dinner.” A routine was kept for those who relied on it, but the meals became more varied and accessible to the various palates of the big city residents. These types of meals are still very much alive today in diners across America. Like a classroom with various learning styles, blue-plate specials can be created to help differentiate content while also unifying students through creativity and interaction. Though resembling a home-style dinner, the blue plate meal was lighter and faster to serve up than its predecessors. Thus, these for me tend to be quick lessons for review or introduction. The ‘meat’ of the activity being created and implemented by the students themselves. Consisting of less food, these types of meals, required less time for digestion and kept office workers from getting that “siesta” feeling in the afternoon. This is beneficial for our students as well who are getting into the doldrums at the end of the year. By the end of the day they are full of information and we need to keep them spontaneous and engaged. They need hearty, accessible standards based lessons that are covered with curiosity and mystery. Lessons are always better with a little shiny substance. Under the dressing or sauce, the mystery meat that was often plated, tasted great with a little gravy on it.

Examples of "blue-plate specials- make something shiny to represent a Texas ecoregion: justify your choice. Use anything you can find to construct a fidget spinner or other stress reliever. Using scraps of paper make a decoupage or mosaic of Katy and its ground water system. Use the colorful beads and stones and create a Virtual habitat for a frog. Explain why this is a suitable habitat for this amphibian. How has Katy changed over the last 100 years? Use things here in the makerspace to predict and model what Katy may look like 100 years from now.