How to Create School Lunchroom Seating Charts

A cafeteria seating chart can help students find where their class is to sit.

A school lunchroom can become very busy during lunchtime. The lunchroom staff and monitors may find it helpful to assign places for each of the classes to sit. This arrangement can help keep classes together and enable teachers to more effectively monitor the behavior of students. The most effective way to help teachers and students find their designated area is to create a school lunchroom seating chart that maps out the room. The chart may also help parents and school administrators locate students in a crowded lunchroom.

Things You'll Need

• Room chart
• Colored pens
• List of classes with assigned lunch periods
• Ruler

Instructions

1. Sketch out the room. Include all tables, doors and other room structures. Label all the structures to help orient those who will use the seating chart.

2. Draw traffic guidelines. For example, note the traffic flow from the beginning of the lunch counter to the lunchroom cash register.

3. Organize the list of classes in the order they arrive at the lunchroom. Begin assigning tables so that the tables closest to the doors leading out of the lunchroom fill up first. Keep grade levels grouped together as much as possible.

4. Complete the first diagram with all the classes in the first lunch period in their appropriate place. Place a label on each table that designates each class by teacher, grade and number of students.

5. Change pen or font color and list the classes assigned to the second lunch period. List them in a similar fashion as you did for the first lunch period group.

6. Continue for any additional lunch periods until all the classes have been assigned to a designated lunch table.

7. Create a legend at the bottom of the page. Note the color of ink that represents each lunch period and the time limits for each period. This should make your chart easier to read at a glance.

8. Issue a copy of the chart to each teacher and post a copy near all doors to the lunchroom. The posted copies should help visitors determine where to meet a student or teacher.

References

• Everyday Democracy: Mixing Up the school cafeteria's "seating chart"
• Wetumpka High School: Student Handbook
• Auburn Schools: Teaching Expectations: Cafeteria Seating Chart