One of the changes Stamford High made for the 2014-2015 school year is the inclusion of Connection Time as part of students’ schedules. There has been only minimal information provided as to what exactly Connection Time is. We know that starting on September 18 students will report to their Connection Time rooms on C and G days. There, teachers will have different topics about which they will discuss with their students each quarter. For example, in the first quarter, the discussion is regarding organization.

You may be asking yourself, “so why did they change it? What’s the purpose? What’s the difference?” Well, Stamford High added Connection Time so that “homeroom” would qualify as a legitimate learning period. This was set in place due to NEASC, a regional school assessment organization. The purpose of Connection Time is for students to connect with teachers. School administrators believe that there is not enough adult-connection with students during the school day. Essentially, students can talk to their teachers about things not necessarily in regards to academics. Students have the opportunity through Connection Time to discuss their emotions, struggles, and even social media issues. So, I guess you can expect your Connection Time teacher to talk about Instagram?  We’ll see.

Connection Time also raises the question, “Are teachers qualified to talk about specific topic such as depression?” Let’s face it; some teachers aren’t. However, that’s where the counselors or social workers step in. They will help teachers discuss serious topics, such as depression. Connecting with adults is quite important for teenagers, because adults can provide grown-up wisdom that students might need during a critical and stressful point in their life.