By Regina Thomas 

Every winter, the temperatures outside drop, and the number of common cold cases increases. Not only that but this year there could also be a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases as the winter months emerge. That's why it's important that you keep your children in the classroom safe and healthy. But what should you do?

Some schools may be offering more technical methods for limiting the spread of any illness, like limiting the number of children that come to school on certain days and even offering online schooling throughout most of the school week. Regardless, it's important that you keep a clean and healthy classroom this winter to help limit the spread of illnesses. Here are some tips on how you can stay clean and keep your classroom healthy this year.

Encourage Physical Activity

Increasing your physical activity is one of the best ways that you can improve the strength of your immune system. When you're engaging in physical activity, your heart is pumping blood to all areas of your body and this can increase your body's health overall. When you boost your immune system, your body has a higher chance of fighting off any illness that you're exposed to.

Even though the weather might be a bit cooler outside, still encourage your students to engage in healthy physical activity. Maybe you can even plan a few events that involve physical activity so that your children are more likely to participate. Even just going outside for a walk every now and then can improve your body's health since you're getting fresh air and getting your blood pumping.

Place Hand Sanitizer Throughout the Classroom

One of the most common ways viruses and illnesses get spread is on surfaces and in the air. When we breathe around others that are sick, we are likely to breathe in the virus as well. And when you touch surfaces that a sick person has previously touched, then you also risk getting sick too. We can limit the spread of sickness by constantly cleaning down these surfaces and disinfecting the classroom. Make sure that you frequently wipe down the desks and common areas everyone touches, like doorknobs and handles.

Even more, it's important to remember that our hands are the most likely to spread any virus as well. As we are constantly touching things with our hands, sicknesses can easily spread from one person to another. So by teaching your students that using hand sanitizer and cleaning our hands more frequently can limit any sicknesses from spreading, you can motivate them to use a bulk hand sanitizer that you can place around the room.

Teach Kids About Hygiene

The ultimate best way that you can keep your classroom healthy this winter is by teaching your students the importance of hygiene. Spread the word that keeping everyone in the classroom safe and healthy is a group effort, so every student will have to partake in the collective effort to limit any sickness from spreading on the desks and from person to person. You can give every student their own personal hand sanitizer and tissues to keep at their desk. Teach your students all of the different ways that they can remain in good and healthy shape.

Motivate Your Students to Eat Their Vitamins

Lastly, you can keep your classroom healthy this winter by motivating your students to eat their vitamins during the cool winter months especially. Fruits and vegetables aren't just recommended for their juicy, delicious taste. They're packed with vitamins and minerals that our bodies need in order to function and stay healthy. Many people aren't aware of the number of nutrients that organic foods contain, but increasing our consumption of them alone can boost our immune systems and leave us feeling healthy and happy altogether.

Conclusion

Overall, having a clean classroom is vital to keeping you, your students, their families, and the other staff at the school safe this winter. You can keep the classroom clean by continually wiping surfaces down and disinfecting areas that are frequently touched. Make sure that you teach your students the importance of hygiene and limiting the spread of any sicknesses from person to person by frequently using hand sanitizer. And encourage your students to consume diets high in organic fruits and vegetables.

RELATED TOPICS

1- How to Help Children Identify Healthy Role Model

2- NEW INNOVATIVE HEALTHY SCHOOLS WORKSHOPS – FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW!

3- Importance of Health and Nutrition in the Classroom

4- Teacher Mental Health Can be Affected by Fear of Falling Ill

5- Mental Health – Society’s Problem Left for Schools to Sort

We encourage our readers to share their knowledge. 

Do you have an idea, view, opinion or suggestion which would interest others in the education sector?  

Are you a writer?  Would you like to write and have your article published on The Educator? 

If you are connected with the education sector or would like to express your views, opinion on something required policymakers’ attention, please feel free to send your contents to editorial@theeducator.com