The Case of the Chronically Frozen Students
August 31, 2017
Ever walk into classroom, and feel your fingers go numb? Such is the hopeless fate of countless Day Creek students. Confused? Allow me to explain.
As you may know, teachers often turn up the air conditioning until it sounds like an airplane runway and feels like a skiing slope in Big Bear. Not only is this uncomfortable, it actually has negative effects on health.
“It dries off your skin, the mucus membrane and the eyes. We see patients who say they went to the malls or their offices and it was extremely cold. Eye infections, respiratory infections and muscular spasms are caused by this change in temperature,” said Dr. Shah, a primary care specialist in Dubai.
Dr. Shah explains that when you go from somewhere hot (PE for example) to somewhere cold (your icebox of a classroom) your body is forced to adapt. This can have some painful consequences. Teachers think they’re giving you a relief from the heat. But the only thing you might be getting is a headache.
Not only is this physically uncomfortable, but in order to cope with the cold, many students bring sweaters. But, as anyone with a shoulder backpack knows, backpacks are HEAVY. Day Creek students already carry endless papers and books, not to mention lunchpails, binders and Harry Potter keychains. Now you’re making us carry a parka in August?
It seems like common knowledge that teachers turn up the air conditioning. But why?
“I leave it colder in the mornings because our seventh graders have PE, and during this time of year [students are] radiating a hundred degrees plus, so if I don’t keep it cold in the morning all of those warm bodies come in [in the afternoon] and it heat up the room into, like the low 80’s.”
Some do it for PE. Which is terrible timing for 7th graders, but that’s a different story. Whatever the reason, it’s always freezing in Day Creek classrooms. All we are missing are a couple of penguins.
Social studies teachers, we know how much you want to immerse your students in your subjects. But please keep the Cold War figurative.