Makeover your classroom...Naturally!
Chemicals equal dangerous side effects!
Teachers constantly use chemical air fresheners, lysol disinfectant wipes and sprays, alcohol based cleansers...and all in the name of disinfecting their classrooms for the safety and health of their students. Unfortunately, these chemical synthetics can sometimes cause more problems than they solve. Ever suffer from dizziness, headaches or an overall "icky" feeling after cleaning your classroom? There's a reason! Those chemicals have many negative side effects, most of which are clearly labeled on their bottles! Those harmful chemicals are not only being absorbed through your skin as you clean but also through your airways!
Using essential oils in the classroom instead of products with artificial perfumes, fragrances and even harmful chemicals allows one to more safely cleanse, uplift mood and energize or calm your classroom without harmful side effects.
Here's a few facts for you..Did you know that nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold? 52.2 million cases of the common cold affect Americans under age 17 each year! Infectious disease accounts for millions of lost school days and cost the US $120 billion a year!
DIY class suggestions
This class begins with a general intro to essential oils and their purposes with a focus on the essential oils that will be most effective in the classroom.
I encourage my teachers to do their own research. They will find that there are far greater negative side effects from using chemicals than there will ever be from using natural, therapeutic grade essential oils! Whether they choose to use the oils generally in the classroom through the use of a diffuser, or more indirectly by using it on themselves and becoming a natural diffuser for their students by their mere presence, the effects will be positive!
I always caution teachers against using the oils directly on students. There is always the potential for allergic reactions. Essential oils are very potent and effective via aromatherapy. The effects experienced through a classroom diffuser will be easily observed by all.
One of the best leave behinds for teachers is a custom Hand Cleanser. These are simple to make and you can demonstrate to your teachers their simplicity, natural ingredients and effective immune supporting qualities. They can use these in their classrooms as a natural alternative to alcohol based hand cleansers.
Tips from other teachers
I'm a special education teacher in a middle school located in Arizona, and I first started using essential oils when my district was taking the state assessment test. My students came into the class the first day a bit nervous and talkative. You could just sense the unrestful energy in the classroom and inappropriate behavior was the result. I went home that evening and was determined to figure out how to change the environment. The next day, before the students came in, I placed a couple drops of Lavender oil on a cotton ball and placed it behind a fan in the room. The students initially had that nervous energy; however, within 15 minutes, I noticed the students were beginning to calm down. I would continue to add a drop of Lavender on a cotton ball every hour. The calming effect continued for the remainder of the testing week. I stopped placing the oil on the cotton ball for 3 days and noticed the nervous energy came back. But on the 4th day, I resumed using the Lavender and observed the calming properties returning once again.
- Albert LeFebvre / Casa Grande, AZ
I am a reading intervention teacher so I see lots of groups of children throughout the day. I use a diffuser at school to help boost immune systems and eliminate odors in the classroom. My 2nd grade students were fascinated with the glowing blue light and the mist that comes from the diffuser. Some of the different oils that I used were a Protective Blend, Wild Orange, Lemon and Grapefruit essential oils.
- Michelle Bonne / Littleton, CO
I'm a 6th grade math teacher. I feel like having the oils in my classroom has done several things for me and my students this year. We've had a healthier classroom. My room smells great! We're a calmer and happier group. I'm able to be balanced and level and teach them at a lower stress level.
- Lindsay Baily / Glendale, AZ
I have been using essential oils in my 2nd grade classroom for almost 2 years. Students always want to have the seat closest to the diffuser! Last year, I had a classroom full of students with very high energy and a Calming Blend helped to keep them calm. I also diffused a Protective blend during the day, and Peppermint & Lemon worked well during testing. This year, however, I have a very different class. This class seems to need more help with focusing, so I diffuse mostly Peppermint with Wild Orange or Lemon, and of course a Protective Blend.
- Cynthia Velez / San Fancisco, CA
I am a volunteer that assists in the reading program at our elementary school. I work with mostly kids trying to learn english as a second language. One little girl in particular was struggling mightily. Her teacher recommended additional testing but she was so borderline that they could not get her testing approved for assistance. Her parents were uninvolved and spoke little english themselves. Her teacher was very worried for this girl and frustrated. I was lucky to get about 5-10 minutes of focused work out of her before we had to quite. One day, I brought in my Focus Blend on a cotton wick. I asked her if she liked the smell. She nodded emphatically! So I let her hold the cotton wick and smell it while we worked. We worked for a solid and productive 40 minutes!!! Her teacher was amazed and very excited about the break through! I made her a mini diffuser to use with this little girl in the classroom. So excited when I can help others naturally that otherwise would have to continue struggling.
- Jennifer Allen / Mesa, AZ