The summer months, especially when accompanied by time in the classroom, can be a learning challenge for students and a teaching challenge for educators. Instead of giving up on productivity completely, try one or a few of these tips to try and make your classroom space more bearable during the warmer months of the year.
The summer months, especially when accompanied by time in the classroom, can be a learning challenge for students and a teaching challenge for educators. Instead of giving up on productivity completely, try one or a few of these tips to try and make your classroom space more bearable during the warmer months of the year.
Cool Down Hot Classrooms in the Summer
Whether you’re teaching summer school or some sweaty weather shows up during the school year, you can plan ahead and spare you and your students some discomfort.
Only Use Electronics As Needed (Lights, too)
Electronics and technology can certainly make learning more engaging, but when the heat they produce is adding to an already intolerably warm classroom, it’s time to turn them off.
Shut down, unplug, or turn off any unnecessary electronics in the classroom. One computer might not seem like it puts off much heat, but if you have that and several other small tech tools running at the same time, it can really add up.
Also consider turning off some or all of the lights. Using some of the natural light from any windows can be a great way to give the classroom a cooler and more relaxed feeling as well. Of course, if the sunshine is pouring in through the windows, you might be better off with the lights on instead. Sunshine certainly counts as a source of unwanted heat in a sweaty classroom.
Point Your Fans Out (Windows or Doors)
While it can feel great to have a breeze in the classroom, pointing fans out the door or windows can help to pull some of the air from the hot classroom space and encourage fresher, potentially cooler air to enter.
Leaving classroom doors open, especially if there are classrooms with windows across the hall, can help the circulate air throughout the building. One reddit user (a physics teacher) explained that having an open window and a fan pointed out the classroom door cools off a classroom.
Try Flexible Seating (Hot Air Rises)
Warm air tends to rise and sit above any cooler air that exists in a space. If you have the space and motivation, move the desks out of the way and sit with your students on the floor. Using this opportunity to learn on the floor might take the edge off the sweaty temperatures.
On top of that, flexible seating options can be a great way to engage students who are distracted or bored when forced to sit in the same place for long periods of time. Break out the creative floor seating options and keep learning, even when temperatures are high.
Keep an Ice Cooler (Thinking Outside the Box)
Coolers today are built to keep ice cold for much longer periods of time. If you have one on hand, consider grabbing a bag of ice at the beginning of the day to keep in a classroom cooler. Of course, ice isn’t free, but the cost might be worth your sanity on the days forecasted to be a true scorcher.
Offer a small scoop of ice to eat or use to cool down to students who participate in class. Allow students to add a few pieces to their water bottle at the beginning of each class period or change in activity. Consider keeping a plastic cup for each student to reuse whenever they are using the ice cooler.
You can make cooling off a part of the classroom fun, but remind students to wipe up any drips or puddles they create. Any safety hazards or unintentionally wet homework papers should be avoided.
More Summertime Tips, Ideas, and Learning Opportunities
Looking for more ways to take summertime and turn it into a learning season for students, wherever they are? Be sure to head to the Summer Slide and Summer tag pages to find activity ideas and more.
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