Sensory Issues in the Classroom - When the Weather Gets Hot

At the end of the school year or the beginning of a new year, temperatures can soar inside of classrooms if there is no air conditioning. With hot temperatures, it can be difficult to maintain a calm learning environment. Students become more agitated with each other. Dealing with the sensory issues in the classroom can help students maintain their focus during the long, hot days.

Deal with the Heat

Calming overheated, sweaty students after gym or recess can help reduce tensions between students. Turning off the lights can make the classroom feel cooler. If allowed, lamps with different colored light bulbs such as rose, can be a relief from glaring fluorescent overhead lights. If it's really hot, students can bring their own reusable gel cold packs. I keep them in my little refrigerator to keep them cool. They can use them wrapped with a paper towel to cool their hands and face after a hot sweaty recess. A portable fan can help move the air in a stuffy room. Allowing personal water bottles can help keep the students hydrated and awake. I encourage the students to freeze them at home and bring them back each day. Their water stays cold most of the day.

Deal with Smells Right Away

Try to keep the room smelling fresh. Make sure students are keeping their desks and lockers clean, to avoid smelly spots in the room. A little bit of essential oil such as lavender in a diffuser can help overcome the sweaty foot smell. Use this sparingly and with caution, if you have students that are sensitive to smell.

Put away Extra Clutter

Get rid of stuff that isn't used or store it away outside of the room. Less stuff in the room helps air circulate better, which just feels better and allows students and staff to move about more easily.

Keep a Calming Sensory Box

A sensory box is a nice thing to have for students that are feeling too overworked or stressed. Include soft materials such as feathers, ribbons, yarn, and scraps of comfy fabric. It can help calm down the student that is near an outburst.

Add some Nature

Adding some green plants and a water fountain or fish tank can bring the room closer to nature. It can help the students who love to be outside, more connected to the indoor environment.

Add Calming Music

In the lunchroom and in the classroom, classical music can be played, to encourage calm. Students also enjoy nature sounds such as streams or ocean waves. This can calm transitions and allow students to focus during quiet study time.

Using a few of these ideas can help students relate more calmly to each other and the teacher during the hot, stuffy weather.