Classrooms

Classrooms

PHOTO © MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES

While most efforts to make students healthier have gone to nutritional and physical education (PE) programs, protecting the health of the classroom and understanding the financial benefits of healthful spaces are too often missing elements.

Protecting Classroom Health

Healthy classrooms are the bedrock on which we help build minds to be at their best, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Like personal health, classroom health involves many factors. The Healthy and Safe Facility Handbook provides foundational guidance on indoor air quality, water quality, desired ambient sound level, lighting, cleaning, disinfecting, ergonomics and more; as part of an ecosystem.

Promoting Movement

CDC reports that one third of adults are obese, and childhood and adolescent obesity have increased dramatically in recent years.

Promoting movement in classrooms is among the newest and most promising steps to help combat obesity, sluggish bodies and minds.

One example is adjustable standing desks, as the act of standing burns more calories and improves blood flow to the brain, and an adjustment allows for sitting as desired. Evidence shows that a 170-pound person burns only 139 calories sitting vs 186 calories an hour standing.

Chairs that swivel and provide flexible back support enable motion for a healthy amount of fidgeting, plus allow rotating the chair in the direction of the instructor or instruction.

Since standing desks and new seating may not be practical in the short term, take regular stretching and standing breaks.

Protect the Air

Check carbon dioxide (CO2) levels (from exhalation), temperature and humidity using a portable meter (less than a $130 expense), and work with the HVAC department to adjust the ambient environment and increase ventilation as needed.

Promote Mental, Emotional Health

Depression and anxiety are all too common. A 2015 National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) report said that 12.5 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 to 17 had a major depressive episode, and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) said anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the U.S. age 18 and older, or 18 percent of the population. ADAA also reports that major depressive disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44.

Be Easy to Talk To

Look for signs of problems, seek out students that are withdrawn or sullen and be approachable. Talk about mental/emotional health in a matter-of-fact way. Get familiar with, suggest and post local mental health resources.

Financial Benefits

Since making schools healthy in order to produce healthy students is a focus of the Healthy and Safe Facility Handbook, be assured that producing healthy classrooms does not cost, it pays, when measured in student outcomes.

Per the CDC: “Healthy students are better learners. Healthy students are better on all levels of academic achievement, academic performance (class grades, standardized tests and graduation rates), education behavior (attendance, behavior) and cognitive skills and attitudes (concentration, memory and mood).

“Healthy, successful students help build strong communities. Investing in the health of students contributes to healthy communities in the future.”

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Three U.S. Universities Install Acre Security Access Control Platform

    Cloud-native physical and digital security solutions company Acre Security recently announced that it has deployed its access control platform at three major universities in the U.S., according to a news release. Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to provide coverage for more than 69,000 students at the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University, and Rockhurst University.

  • Spaces4Learning Announces Winners of 2025 Product Awards

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2025 Product Awards! The award program recognizes innovation and excellence in products that enhance learning environments in K–12 schools and institutions of higher education.

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

  • ClassVR Wins Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTELive 25

    Avantis Education recently announced that its flagship product, ClassVR, won the Tech & Learning Best of Show Award at ISTELive 25 in San Antonio, Texas, according to a news release. The program is designed to celebrate products that are “transforming education in schools around the world and that show the greatest promise for the industry,” and this is the fourth consecutive year that Avantis has claimed the award.

Digital Edition