This is the Corona Candle. Before school closed in the spring, it was the main goal of two students and a teacher to keep this candle burning until school shut down. They did whatever they needed to keep this candle burning hence the tape on the side. This candle helped myself and my friend Veronica Cortes really bond with our teacher Mr Lubbers in ways we never thought of. The impact of a connection between just a student and a teacher can make the biggest difference in both of their lives, in ways that most people don’t know. The relationship that teachers form with students can be beneficial even if it’s not about school, and they connect over something going on in their lives outside of school.

From a student’s perspective, Veronica Cortes explains, “If a teacher and I connect, it helps because it makes it easier to learn and be comfortable in the school environment”. Students prefer to have a good connection with their teachers because then they aren’t scared to ask the teachers questions, and they aren’t scared to get help when it’s needed. Therefore they are able to keep their grades up and enjoy the class. “Physics was my favorite science class and I don’t even like physics,” Veronica Cortes adds, because her bonding with her teacher made the class so much better. Being able to joke and laugh with a teacher is huge because students have that level of security with them and are able to be open with them.

“It benefits me as a teacher because hearing some of the things these kids go through allows me to be more understanding as a teacher, every student that walks in has a different story and when I hear these stories it can help me give more grace and be more patient” comments Mrs. Kleinheksel. So believe it or not teachers like to connect with students as well. “I like the connections because I make new friends” says Mr. Lubbers. It’s important that these connections are made because it overall betters the workplace for both students and teachers. When teachers are able to form these bonds with their students it betters them as teachers because they can then teach to the ways they know how students learn best instead of just doing what the book says. When they teach in ways that students can understand better, the students will do better in their class.

Even parents think it’s important that their kids make a bond with teachers, especially if it’s not school related, and that way they can joke around with each other and it not be awkward. “As a mom of little kids, I feel it’s important that my kids have a relationship with their teachers because then I know there’s someone at school looking out for them, and it’s good for them to have that bond with their teachers especially when its not school related because it can help them have a better day at school,” adds Jovan Schuster.

Does the teacher try to initiate the first conversation with a student, or do the students come up to the teacher first? Mr. Lubbers says, “Sometimes if people are having a conversation I’ll add little comments here and there, not to try and invade but to try show them that I go beyond just the knowledge of the class, and so they’ll hopefully be more open to then having conversations with me that’s not about the school work,” However according to Mrs. Kleinheksel, “I’ll have students that ask me questions and then they’ll initiate it, but I’d say usually I’ll start the first conversation, because it’s nice to be able to talk to kids about what they’re doing after school, or their weeknd plans, and I like to tell them about me as well, like my kids and family, because I go beyond just being a teacher.” So, it’s generally the teacher who starts a bond with their students just because it then makes it easier to teach because they actually know their students beyond the name.