Smelly Remedy for Sleepy Students

When I walked into class this morning, about half the girls had their heads on their desks resting. Granted, it's a 9 o'clock class (I myself have to get up at 6 a.m. to get to school on time), but I thought, "Oh, no. I'm going to be struggling with a bunch of sleepyheads."

What I did was to get out small aromatherapy kit that I carry around with me. Then I told them, they could choose "Energy," "Relaxation," "Romance," "Cleanse," or "Concentration." I went around the room, as each girl chose, holding a small bottle under her nose as she inhaled and leaving a drop of her chosen aroma just under the nostrils.

The atmosphere of the class changed completely, becoming totally charged with energy. There was a fairly even distribution in their choices, but what made the difference is that they all began talking (in Japanese) about the experience. I don't suppose any teacher had ever tried aromatherapy with them before! :-)

That and a jazz chant helped everyone wake up, and the students ended up having stimulating discussions. Ironically, the topic was Dreams!