In the Classroom
Posted on September 5th, 2008 by inspiredpractice
We’ve covered the carry-alls and the bookshelves. So what about the classroom? More ideas for back to school below.
IN THE CLASSROOM
The What & Why:
- Squeaky clean. Just as people are becoming very particular about the kinds of products they use to clean their homes, we all should be more conscious of how our schools are cleaned. Talk to your school custodial staff and find out which chemicals are used to clean your school floors, bathrooms and cafeteria. Bleach and ammonia are big no-nos. There are many wholesale options that are eco and people-friendly. Start a dialogue and protect your and your students’ health.
- All aboard. Think white boards and dry erase markers. This is a great way to conserve paper. The trick is, you want to conserve brain cells too. So go with a xylene-free, non-toxic white board marker that is made from organic pigments.
- Krafty. Store lesson plans and activity sheets in kraft or chipboard 3-ring binders made from recycled materials.
- Colour your world. For art and colouring, look for soy crayons, non-toxic markers, water-based paints.
- Poster decor. Decorate your class with signs and posters that carry messages. A couple of our favourites include: How to Build Community or How to Build Global Community, We Are What We Do has some great downloadable action posters, or better yet, create your own.
- Paper cut. Look for recycled content in paper. Even construction paper is now available with recycled content. And where possible, opt for an alternative to paper to cut your consumption.
- Scrap it. Dedicate a box to scrap paper. Encourage your students to re-use paper before recycling. Scrap paper can be used for everything from scribbling out long division to art projects.
- Runny noses. Kids are little germ carriers and always have runny noses. Tissues are a necessity but most conventional options are made with virgin pulp (and often from old growth forests. Horror!). Pick up a couple boxes of recycled tissues for your classroom.
- Squirmy worms. Bring a small vermi composter into your classroom to show your kids how cool worms can be. They will eat your organic food scraps and tissues and poop out nutrient rich mulch. Use that as a fertilizer for potted plants in your classroom or bedding plants on school grounds. You will need Red Wrigglers for your composter. Contact your local environmental organization to find out how to start a vermi composter and where to get the worms.
- Stick and staple. Classic items in classrooms tend to be staplers and tape. Staplers waste a lot of metal and make it more labour intensive to recycle paper that is stapled together. If you don’t have paperclips handy, grab a stapleless stapler. Conventional adhesives can contain toxic chemicals like acid and use seriously bad solvents in the manufacturing process. Yuck! Opt for a better alternative for your scotch and masking tape needs.
Nothing gets the creative juices flowing better than a good ol’ brainstorm. Sit down with your students and dream up other ideas and strategies to bring about a healthier and happier classroom.
Filed under: Back to School
