When meteorologists determined that this coming winter would be a cold one, I did not think that they were talking about the forecast for the campus classrooms. But apparently they were, because it seems that winter has come early this year for many of my classes.

Many teachers argue that the reason they keep their classrooms cold is to keep students awake and focused. Sure, I say, dusting away the fine layer of snow that has cascaded down from the air conditioning vents onto my desk. Except the real issue is that our focus will be less on the task at hand and more on how exceptionally frigid it is in there.

Not to mention trying to dress yourself when the weather prediction for the day is sunny and 77, but you know your classrooms will be well below that.

I once took a heated yoga class at a local gym (which, by the way, I totally recommend if you’re ok with trying not to slip all over your own sweat). The old guy sitting on his mat beside me complained out loud about how warm the room was, to which the instructor coolly replied, “Heat is good for the body.” I am not saying by any means that teachers should crank it up to 102 degrees in their classrooms, but I do think that it sure would not do anyone any harm if the AC enthusiasts on campus took their finger off the thermostat every now and then.

So let’s talk science. What other ramifications might a cold classroom insinuate? You may recall learning about homeostasis in biology. Homeostasis is essentially the body’s way of keeping all of its processes and functions in equilibrium. Now if something were to challenge the body’s system of inner peace-making, say colder temperatures for example, it will try to compensate for the imbalance. In this case, your blood draws itself in closer, goosebumps scatter across your skin, and then you will start shivering, all of which is the body attempting to generate heat.

Let’s recap. You enter a classroom, it is cold, so your body reacts and tries to keep you warm, doing all of the aforementioned in order to maintain homeostasis. But what does all of this require?

Energy.

So when teachers turn down the temperature in their classes in order to keep us awake and standing at attention, we are actually using up energy. Kind of undermines the whole purpose of keeping the room cold, does it not? 

The answer to maintaining student energy and focus in the classroom isn’t by turning it into an icebox. The key is to keep the temperature controlled and constant — may I suggest a comfortable 72 degrees Fahrenheit? Besides, if a teacher is having trouble keeping students concentrated, or even awake, chances are the problem might not be with the temperature…