Your student may be in a funk known as the mid-semester slump. It involves restlessness, anxiety, strained relationships and stress. It comes about for all sorts of reasons, from midterm exams to being cooped up inside during the winter months.
Some of this slump may come across when you talk with your student. Perhaps she's a bit shorter with you on the phone or he doesn't email as frequently as he used to. Try not to take it personally. Instead, see what you can do to help de-slump your student! Some things to try include:

• Sending a colorful piece of real mail to brighten her mailbox
• Giving him a favorite magazine to shift his focus
• Planning a fun event during Spring Break that you can both look forward to
• Listening when she wants to blow off some steam

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