Here are some useful tips to implement in the classroom to encourage children to be more environmentally conscious.
Teachers are in a great position to help children learn about the damage we cause to the environment and how they can play their part in preventing this from happening. Young people are the next generation, so it’s crucial to get them on board by doing their bit to help the planet.
Recycle
Recycling bins are a must have in the classroom as they encourage children to get into the habit of using them to dispose of recyclable waste, such as paper and plastic bags. It may be a good idea to set a target for the class to reach by the end of the week and give them a reward when they achieve it. You could even assign an eco-monitor in each class.
Soon they won’t even have to think about throwing their banana peel into the food waste bin and their used paper scraps into the recycling bin. When your class are in the swing of recycling, you can start a zero-waste policy by teaching them ways to use reusable items instead of disposable ones, such as food containers for lunchtime and reusable water bottles.
Use sustainable materials
Using sustainable materials in the classroom is a great way to improve your classrooms eco-effiency. Buying products such as recycled paper, or refillable pens is a great starting point, and helps to reduce classroom waste in the long-run. Try out biodegradable alternatives for products such as pens, rulers and pencils, to make sure that more of what you throw away will decompose, unlike plastic.
Be energy efficient
Cutting down on the amount of energy the classroom uses is one of the easiest ways to become environmentally friendly. Turning off the lights when the last person leaves the room and shutting down laptops when school is over, means that your class is reducing their energy usage.
It could be worth putting up a few signs or posters in the classroom to remind pupils when they have finished using their electrical devices. Another idea is to keep the blinds open and use natural light throughout the day, minimising the number of lights used or eliminating the need to use them at all.
Lessons in living
Getting pupils on board with the eco-friendly classroom is vital, and for this to happen, they must understand how it can benefit them in the future. Fitting environmental education into the curriculum is an effective way to reinforce the benefits of helping the planet. Using scenarios like the weight of plastic in maths problems or learning about ocean levels in geography are examples of how pupils can continuously learn about the environment. You could even get the pupils to calculate their carbon footprints!
Plants
Encouraging each pupil in the class to have a plant to water every day is an engaging method to keep children interested, especially fruit or vegetable plants which encourage children to grow their own food. It also teaches children about the responsibility involved when taking care of their plant and to see whose can grow the highest! Having 30 small plants around the room will also purify the air and bring a lot of colour to the classroom.
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