Teacher smears peanut butter and jelly on hands — it leads to an unforgettable class in communication for first-graders

It can be quite challenging to teach kids about communication and details, especially at a young age. Because these elements don’t come easily, parents and teachers need a creative way to show kids how to observe, convey depth and crucial bits of information. A first-grade teacher, Kayleigh Sloan (@key_sloan on TikTok), revealed that she developed a creative and fun way to teach kids the importance of details while teaching them about descriptive writing, per Motherly. She used a packet of bread, jars of peanut butter and jelly to teach the kids. According to the University of Writing and Speaking Center, descriptive writing is an enhanced means of communication.

Quoting Stephen King, an American author, it was noted, “Description begins in the writer’s imagination but should finish in the reader’s.” It refers to adding depth and life to a piece of writing while keeping it accurate and brief. There are different methods to go about teaching kids how to follow details, but this teacher undoubtedly won the interest and offered a sure shot at understanding the lesson. She began by sharing a few worksheets with the students and asking them to give instructions on how to make a “PB&J sandwich.” Placing the bread, the peanut butter and jelly jars on her table, she took the responses and began to read them out loud.

The first response read, “Take the bread, the peanut butter and the jelly.” Following the instructions, the teacher grabbed the packet of bread, the jars of peanut butter and jelly and held all three in her hand. “Does this make it?” “No,” the students’ responses echoed. “But that’s what it said to do,” she added. Reading another response, she said, “Put the bread flat.” This time, the teacher flattened the entire packet on the table. “No!” the kids yelled. The next instruction read, “Put the peanut butter and jelly on the bread.” The kids were immensely excited. However, Sloan caught them off guard. She smeared the peanut butter and jelly all over the bread packet using her fingers.

The students were yelling at the top of their lungs, trying to get the teacher to pay attention and make the sandwich correctly. One of the responses read, “You need to put it on.” Adhering to it, Sloan smeared the peanut butter and jelly on her hands. Following up with unclear directions, the teacher followed them to the T until she got the kids to understand why detailed communication is crucial. “This is why you need detailed writing. Did anybody ever mention that you need to use a plate or a knife?” she asked the kids.

“All I did was exactly what you told me to do. So do we see how important it is to include all the correct details?” she asked. Also, Sloan made the kids redo the instructions, this time in a more precise and detailed way, earning them the perfect, edible peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Many people applauded her tactic, noting that it will definitely be drilled into the kids’ minds. @jennifer.pierce.73 said, “This. Is. A. Teacher.” @ddzazzled added, “They’ll never forget the details that are necessary for descriptive writing.”

You can follow Kayleigh Sloan (@kay_sloan) on TikTok for more content on children’s education and teaching.