A lot of factors, many of which are beyond your control, can affect children’s learning, growth, and development. But there is one thing you can manage as an educator and that is the type of classroom environment you offer for your young students. Creating a healthy learning atmosphere can improve their absorption of information and keep their well-being in check.
The Safety and Well-Being of Your Students Come First
First, make sure you’re paying attention to all of the fundamental safety precautions. You can, for example, use flexible sheeting to keep electrical cords out of the reach of children. It is also critical to keep power wires away from workspaces and pathways. Next, make sure the doorways are free of furniture and debris to create a welcome, safe entrance to the room. Remember that the doorway should always be accessible.
When it comes to air quality, you can simply include live plants in your classroom to act as natural air filters. Artificial plants are known for attracting dirt and bacteria and are difficult to clean. And don’t forget that there should always be a healthy amount of airflow coming in from outside. Use sheer drapes to screen harsh light while allowing natural light to enter the room as well.
Use neutral-coloured window treatments since bright colours and patterns can be distracting and detract from the natural light flowing through the windows. Make sure that laptops are not placed close or beneath a window, as this may cause glare on the screen and distract youngsters from learning. Provide a healthy snack basket (fruits, veggies, sunflower seeds, raisins, and so on) and encourage responsible eating throughout the day. Snack periods can also be built into your morning and/or afternoon routines.
Prevent Poor Sitting Posture with the Right School Furniture
While the effect of incorrect seated posture varies from person to person, common problems are sure to impact children. Poor blood circulation causes unnecessary stress on the neck and shoulder muscles, leading to back rounding and strain on the spinal cord. Students will arch away from a desk that is not the proper elevation for them. These issues will, in turn, cause other problems, such as digestive issues and a negative impact on proper growth. To ensure students have a good sitting posture, you should provide them with school furniture that’s ergonomic and flexible.
Let’s start with the desk – it should be oriented around the children’s needs allowing them to bend forward and move around as needed. It should also include caster wheels so that students can draw the desk towards them or move it away from them as needed. This is significant because the proper distance between the chair and the desk must be maintained.
Chairs must be designed in such a way that the back has a regular curve, preventing kids from developing an unhealthy rounded back. They should also include features that allow students to adjust the level of support for a proper sitting posture. The chairs’ swivel mechanisms will allow children to turn around and access items on the table without having to do so in awkward positions.
Incorporating ergonomics into your classroom furniture can not only help to minimise future health concerns for developing youngsters but will also help in boosting focus during classroom sessions. Students who are uneasy in their chairs may struggle to concentrate in class, whereas students who sit in a more comfortable position may find it easy and natural to focus on what is being presented.
Incorporate an Interactive Teaching Style
Good educators are quick, perceptive, and sensitive, always maintaining an open mind about how to best engage their students and get them enthusiastic. This includes researching different interactive teaching approaches in the classroom. Interactive teaching approaches are based on a basic principle: without actual application, students frequently fail to grasp the complexities of the study content.
This style of teaching benefits you as a teacher in a variety of ways, including quantitative student achievement: Teachers that adopt interactive teaching approaches are better able to judge how well pupils understand a certain subject matter. Using training methods that include two-way communication allows you to make quick changes to processes and approaches.
Two-way teaching eliminates student apathy, and the more your students are engaged, time will go by more quickly and everyone will feel more productive because of it. Unlike lecture-style teaching, which often causes students to lose interest, interactive teaching techniques encourage students’ attention and engagement. So aim to make it exciting, interesting, and enjoyable.
Speaking is not teaching, and listening is not learning, as you are well aware. That’s why you should find your own unique interactive teaching style and a way to encourage student participation. Use questions that spark their curiosity, encourage a discussion and offer an opportunity for hands-on experience. You can also consider educational carpets which are especially engaging for younger children .
What Should You Do If Your Student Opposes Personal Hygiene?
Children can be sensitive and resist the concept of having to start wearing deodorant or brushing their teeth at night. If you’re at a loss for how to encourage your youngster to prioritise personal cleanliness, there are a few ideas that might work for you. Discuss the consequences. Assist them in comprehending why this new routine is required. Explain to them that you are spreading restroom germs if you do not wash your hands, and you or others may become ill as a result. And tell them that if they do not brush their teeth, they may develop cavities, tooth decay, and bad breath.
You can also give them an incentive. Consider giving the child a little, non-food treat (such as a sticker) after they have completed one of their hygiene activities. A word of caution: Don’t go back to begging a child to perform something mundane in exchange for a treat. This can lead to power disputes, which can worsen as they get older.
Make instructional resources available. Children learn in a variety of ways at times. There are numerous books and videos available to help you teach your child or students about personal hygiene.
