It’s no secret that teachers often don’t get all the supplies they need to run their classrooms. An overwhelming majority dip into their own pockets every year, spending more than $500 on average to outfit their classrooms and provide students with the materials they need.
On top of that, teachers are notoriously underpaid, which makes this unfortunate reality even more frustrating.
Fifth grade teacher reveals story behind his classroom’s snack cupboard
Dan Shutes is a popular content creator and fifth grade teacher who has built an audience of more than two million followers on TikTok by sharing heartwarming and emotional stories from his classroom.
In one recent video, he started things off on a lighter note, showing off a massive snack cupboard in his classroom that he stocks for students every year. We can see bulk packs of beef jerky, applesauce, popcorn, and more. It’s a seriously extensive collection.
But then Shutes shares the heartbreaking story behind why he keeps such a massive stockpile of food every year.
Kid caught ‘stealing’ bag lunches
“Six years ago, I watched one of my students walk over and take every single extra bag lunch that we had and I watched him stuff it into his own backpack,” Shutes says.
Naturally, Shutes asked the kid why he took the food. “He looked up at me and he said, ‘I’m taking these home so my little brothers can eat dinner tonight.’”
Shutes was deeply affected by the student’s words. That same night, he went out and bought extra granola bars to keep in the classroom in case that student came to class hungry and needed a snack.
But he didn’t stop there. He worked with the school counselor to create a structured process through which the kid and his family could get the additional food they needed from the school.
Over the years, “It’s kind of evolved into this,” Shutes says, gesturing to three whole shelves filled with kids’ snacks in his class. “You’d be shocked at how many teachers do this exact same thing.”
Around half of teachers regularly pay to feed their students
The statistics behind Shutes’ claim are hard to believe. The American Federation of Teachers recently released a survey that found about half of K-12 teachers anticipate needing to purchase food for their students.
One educator told Education Healthcare Public Services, “A lot of my students are starving because of lack of food availability.”
Poverty and food insecurity among low-income families have long been problems, and food insecurity has risen from the lower levels seen several years ago. In 2024, 18.4% of American households with children experienced food insecurity at some point during the year.
It should not be up to public school teachers to fix the problem, especially when the national average starting salary is just $48,112.
But the devotion and selflessness of the teachers who, every year, decide to step up to the plate for their kids is unbelievably inspiring.
“If they’re gonna be in my classroom for seven hours a day, five days a week, for nine straight months, I’m gonna take care of my students like they’re my own,” Shutes says.
And he’s not the only one.
