Physical Needs: The Basics

"Do no harm."

This, instruction #2 of "The Third Teacher," absolutely embodies the principles of the book. As an exploration of new, innovative improvements to be made in the classroom, the book begins by addressing the basic physical shortcomings of many modern classrooms.

Raffi, widely praised and recognized children's entertainer, has dedicated his life to standing up for the rights and respect of students.  He is interviewed in "The Third Teacher," and I went to his foundation's website, www.raffinews.com, to learn more about his advocacy work and stance on education.

His website explained and elaborated on a very interesting concept: Raffi's 9 Principles for Child Honouring.  They are as follows:
1.  Respectful love       2.  Diversity       3.  Caring Community       4.  Conscious Parenting       5.  Emotional intelligence     6.  Nonviolence       7.  Safe Environments      8.  Sustainability       9.  Ethical Commerce

A specific problem in schools that the book addressed was that of air quality.  Asthma is one of the most common ailments of small children, and improved air quality in schools can help to curb the symptoms of asthma.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency has compiled a resource base for schools to begin air quality improvements at www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/. They identify the major culprits of air quality tainting to be leaky roofs, faulty HVAC systems, and overuse of hazardous cleaning chemicals.  Their suggestions to improve air quality involve the preservation of a specific budget, the organization of a dedicated team, and the use of the EPA Tools for Schools Indoor Air Quality Kit, available on their website.

Another problem the book discusses is acoustics in the classroom.  It proposes a hard front wall, to let the sound bounce off and reverberate toward the back of the classroom.  To avoid an echo, the other walls should be sound absorbent.  Soft furniture and carpeting also helps to absorb distracting reverberation.

The last important classroom feature that Chapter One mentioned was sunlight.  Students are going to be less focused and more easily bored if they're sitting in a sterile, artificially lit space.  The article "Bring It In," by Mike Kennedy, was run in the journal American Schools and Universities, and can be accessed at http://proxy.luther.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=22130856&site=ehost-live&scope=site.  He suggests that schools should be constructed with north-facing windows; this minimizes direct sunlight to avoid glare, but maximizes indirect sunlight.  Creative window solutions that emulate this sunlight pattern can create interesting architecture. Energy efficient windows can also help to cut HVAC costs and reduce glare.