It’s getting hot in here – so let’s go outside to learn

Eli Torrez, Editorialist

There’s only one thing worse than a cold classroom, and that is the combination of summer weather and Ms. Jane Burke’s boiling classroom. Winter has ended and cold weather is finally moving away from us, which means classrooms in the center of the school, away from windows or doors, are stuffy and hot. 

 The hot classrooms are only a problem because most classrooms in our school don’t have windows or doors to the fresh outside air. Not even multiple rotating fans( placed closest to the teacher) are enough to fight the sweaty and stuffy classroom air. During the summer at Greeley West, classrooms that aren’t fortunate enough to have a window should be given fans around the classroom that actually make a difference to the baking students.

The temperature of a classroom effects students’ ability to pay attention in class. A student’s learning environment could either help a student’s education or hurt it. In our school, we could do a better job of making sure our environments are productive towards students learning instead of a distraction. We can’t do anything about not having windows, so other strategies should be looked at. In my schedule this year, I only have one classroom without windows or a door to the outside, but what about students with a majority of their classes in the middle of the school?

The school should allow teachers to develop coping strategies like going outside for a breath of fresh air or even having a day of class outside at the tables.  This would allow students to get out of the heat and focus on their learning.