Re: Peppermint in the classroom

alicia rogan

Posted on 1/05/12

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On 4/16/06, Jerry wrote:
> On 3/25/06, Woody wrote:
>> Can anyone help me with a research topic... do any of you
>> have any information on if peppermint helps kids grades or
>> their classroom performance? I am writing a paper on this
>> topic and would appreciate any information I can get.
>
> I have heard (anecdotally) that peppermint stimulates brain
> activity and helps students perform better. From personal
> experience of actually having teachers who would give me
> peppermints I would say that yes, it can help. I don't know
> if there are any special properties to peppermint... it may
> just be that the sugar (carbs are brain food) acts as a
> stimulant. The aroma of peppermint (seems that it helps
> clear nasal passages) and the "sucking" activity may also
> play a role in this "stimulation".
>
> A late response and nothing factual, but hopefully will
> steer you in the right direction.
>
> Another thing to note is the potential for dental problems
> and even obesity if we're constantly cramming candy down our
> student's throats to keep them attentive, and they will no
> doubt build up a resistance to the effects in time.
>
> I'd say it doesn't hurt for the occassional test or the
> child who is dozing off, but wouldn't make it a part of the
> daily routine.

I am a test coordinator. At a recent faculty gathering, a
teacher had mentioned this. Got some really great bargains for
peppermint suckers, and I am going to try it out in my testing
lab. Will try anything extraordinary to get kids to focus, try,
and PASS! Our entire school's existence will depend on these
scores. Will let you know how it went...although there could be
other factors if scores improve. We'll see!

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