Page 25 - School Planning & Management, October 2017

Maintaining
a Healthy
Classroom
Environment
Lowering health risks enables students to learn better and teachers to teach more.
AHEALTHY CLASSROOM enables students and teachers to be at their best, physically, mentally and emotionally. Creating and maintain- ing a healthy classroom involves address- ing issues in a holistic way as part of an ecosystem.
Healthy indoor air quality, water, ambi- ent sound, lighting, cleaning, disinfecting, ergonomics, and more, are discussed in related chapters. We summarize other healthy-classroom system factors below.
Physically Healthy Classrooms
Childhood and adolescent obesity have increased dramatically in recent years, and more than one-third of adults are obese (Ref: CDC).
While sound diet and nutrition are vital, students and teachers should exercise and burn enough calories to be healthy and combat obesity.
Beyond supporting sports and physical education (PE), consider standing desks as they serve a dual purpose of heightening concentration and cognitive activity while burning calories. A 170-pound person burns 186 calories an hour standing vs 139 calories sitting, as the legs and back work harder when standing.
If your classroom is a “sitting” one, ar- range for the class to stand up, stretch, and
take breaks at regular intervals. Carbon dioxide (CO2) buildup from
exhalation can create a lethargic and unhealthy classroom, so make ventilation a priority by working with your HVAC department. Indoor CO2 buildup is a sur- rogate for elevated VOCs in general because if fresh air ventilation is poor, other gases will build up in the classroom as well. Request a simple CO2, temperature, and relative humidity meter (less than$130)
to periodically check your classroom CO2. Partner with HVAC professionals to fine- tune these health factors.
Mentally and Emotionally Healthy Classroom
Foster openness, support, and accep- tance by applying these tips:
• According to the National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH), in 2015, 12.5 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 to 17 had a major depressive episode, so be sensitive to the prevalence of this illness.
• Normalize discussion about mental/emo- tional health by bringing it up regularly and in a matter-of-fact way.
• Get familiar with local mental health resources, post sources in the classroom, and call attention to them. Post the contact info of the school’s mental health professional or guidance counselor.
• Try to make students feel safe about sharing their feelings. This will make it easier to identify, prevent and deal with problems.
• Ask students to do a healthy “self- checkup” by handing each one a work- sheet saying: “Let’s do a self-checkup
to know what we’re feeling, and look
at problems or worries that bother us. UsinganA,B,C,DorF—gradehow you feel right now. Jot your name on the paper, fold it so no one else can read it, and hand it in to me. You don’t need to share your grade with others, but if you are a D or lower, check the ‘want to talk’ box, and we’ll talk in private.”
• Ask students to jot down the names of fellow students who seem unhappy, un- healthy, or unstable, and place the folded slips anonymously in a “Help Others” box to be checked regularly by a school counselor or other health professional.
In short, show you care, and are there.
>> Reprinted from The Healthy and Safe Facility Handbook, published by the Healthy Facilities Institute (HFI). You can view the handbook at spaces4learning. com/pages/hfa/healthy- facilities-awards.aspx.
THE HEALTHY AND
SAFE FACILITY HANDBOOK
SCHOOL AND COLLEGE EDITION
OCTOBER 2017 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 25
PHOTO © ELNUR