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Candy Crash. No, not to be mistaken for the addictive app Candy Crush. Side note: I am both proud and ashamed to admit that I just reached level 1000. Candy Crash. ‘A sugar crash is a term used to describe the extreme feeling of fatigue after consuming a large amount of carbohydrates’ and carbohydrates in today’s case = candy. Lots and lots of candy.
The hours and days that follow Halloween, we expect many of our students to be carrying pockets filled with mini Kit Kat bars and Starbursts. But hey, many of us are guilty of the same, right? Left over from last night’s festivities or snuck out of our own children’s stash! That little burst of sugar gives us the boost we need to fight through the extreme feeling of fatigue. And the cycle continues.
So as we settle in to the days of the candy crash, we must remember that our students don’t just carry candy in their pockets. Through exhausted November eyes, we must see what else they carry with them each day. Anxiety about an upcoming test or assignment, parents that may be separating, an unfortunate post on Instagram, depression, heartbreak, loss…Each of these students walk through our halls with candy crashes, joys and sorrows.
We must learn to appreciate the importance of student-teacher connections and create a climate that fosters these relationships. Make an effort to get to know and connect with each one of your students. Engage them. Talk to them. Listen to them. Positive student-teacher relationships influence not only their academic development, but also their social-emotional development. When students trust their teachers, when they feel safe in their care, those pockets can feel a little lighter.
Food (and food in today’s case = candy) for thought.
Thanks for this, Lara. It is a thoughtful post, and one that is important to keep in mind in the ebb and flow of academic tides of assessments, sports, performace, parent engagements, and the like.
What are our schools doing to mitigate, prepare and sustain our students, and ourselves, through these times?
I definitely ate a few too many skittles on Halloween, so I’m really feeling this post in so many ways.
I like the idea that even teachers are carrying around our own candy in our pockets…I wonder if teachers had “safe mini-disclosures” with students, it would create a space where students also feel like they can bring their whole selves into our classrooms.
Have you had any experience with that?
Lara –
Congrats on the first blog post! And a great one at that. You clearly have such an empathetic heart for your students. Is this a hint of where your action plan might end up focusing? I can’t wait to see where you might go with this idea.
In the meantime, I’m thankful for a candy bowl that still has a lot of leftovers from Monday, to get me through this last week before mid-term break! 🙂
Jen
Well said Lara. Developing a strong social and emotional connection with your students can make the world of a difference to them; especially those who may be experiencing a difficult time for the varying possibilities out there.
What is your “go-to” when you notice a students is feeling/seeming a little less than themselves? Do you engage in mindfulness practise, one on one discussion or classroom reflections? Also, when do you find the time to do this? Do you use breaks/recesses to do so? At times I find that that time is a constraint. If I could, I would spend a whole day with students who need social and emotional support but unfortunately my day, and of course the ontario curriculum doesn’t allow for that. Hearing about others personal experience or their routine for dealing with students needs can be great value.
Thank you.
One of my secret tactics is to “waste time” in class with my students, particularly in those courses where many of them hate my subject (but are forced to take it anyway). Overcoming anxiety and building a classroom culture where my students are safe and happy is one of my top priorities. What they think is wasted time is actually a wise investment on my part. Those off-topic chats, stories, laughs, and discussions give us a better relational foundation for all the hard work of learning that happens at the other times.
How do you work to build those student-teacher relationships?
Great point Lara! It is also easy to forget that our students have to juggle up to 7 other courses, plus extra-curricular activities (both inside and outside school). Students have a lot going on, even if you haven’t assigned any major work or tests recently.