For whatever reason, peppermints seem to be a hot item in schools all across the country. Maybe it is because this is the go to “medicine” when you see the school nurse. If you have a tummy ache this is the sure-fire way to cure it. They give you a mint, you rest for a minute, and boom! You are good to go. Or at least you feel a little better…
I make my own peppermints for my classroom.
Mints?
Yes! Mints!
WARNING: Read this whole post…
My homemade mints don’t cure stomach aches. Nope. My mints are for the brain. I actually call them Mind Mints. You see, my mints are hand-crafted, traditional looking, red and white peppermints that are made with a special imported mint extract all the way from Mexico. I use an age old family secret recipe and the copper kettle, which is a family heirloom, to construct these sweet treats. The peppermint and sugar combination basically sends little lightning bolts to the kids’ brains and helps them to perform classroom tasks. My favorite time to pass these out is prior to a big assessment. Overall, these amazing mind mints are clinically proven to increase test scores or their money back guaranteed. The good news for me, I pass them out for free, so if a student doesn’t perform well they can’t sue me.
Students always question whether or not I actually hand make these so I explain in detail the process. I discuss everything from my special candy gloves that I use to the vacuum sealing process that is used to ensure the wrapper keeps them fresh. By the end of my detailed explanation they are 100% convinced that I really do make my own mints and they are 100% confident they make them smarter on all tasks.
Wanna know the best part of all of this? It’s a teacher fib. I don’t make these. I am not Willy Wonka. I don’t know the first thing about being a candy maker. But, it makes a difference in my classroom and it adds a level of fun and whimsy that is priceless. Confidence in the classroom is key. And if I can add a little bit of confidence to my students before they pick up a pencil and decrease a little bit of stress before a big test, it is so worth it!
Sweet teacher secrets can lead to some even sweeter success for students.
PS- Don’t ever leave your evidence behind…
