“Pray for me, don’t play with me”
Why the 2019 Mississippi Teacher of the Year Loves Her Clean Air Classroom
Hannah Gadd Ardrey, Ed.D., NBCT, teaches choir, general music, and class piano to 7th and 8th graders at Oxford Middle School. Hannah’s classroom is a windowless, square classroom with carpeted risers, tile ceilings, and cinder block walls. Like many older classrooms, hers lacks proper air circulation and can, at times, "smell like an old textbook”, as she says. A stuffy room leads to a "stifled learning environment".
“Teenagers come through my door every day. Accompanying them are unique thoughts, opinions, and a sense of curiosity about the world around them. Learning to navigate life as an adolescent is tough enough - they shouldn’t have to worry about breathing clean air, too.”
“Teenagers come through every day, bringing a lot of smells, angst, and opinions."
Hannah received two kits and a monitor from Clean Air K12 with all of the air filters, box fans, and duct tape needed to create two Corsi Rosenthal boxes. Hannah and her students found the boxes “really easy to assemble” and an engaging class project, likening it to solving a puzzle.
"I purposefully gave students basic instructions about how to assemble the boxes. It was fun and intriguing watching them work together to problem-solve," Hannah notes. After students successfully assembled one kit, only ten minutes had elapsed on the clock. Students were able to assemble the second kit even faster! Hannah placed one unit at the back of the classroom on the choir risers and another at the front under the whiteboard. She keeps the purifiers on low, only turning them up on an unusually hot day.
The purifiers significantly improved the classroom environment and student well-being: "My classroom doesn't smell like anything at all, and I love it," Hannah says. She no longer needs to use room spray frequently or worry about working in a "dungeon-like" atmosphere. The clean air provides Hannah "mental clarity" when entering the classroom, allowing her to focus on other aspects of classroom management and teaching engaging lessons.
“I love it”
The DIY air purifiers also created a safer space for Hannah's choir students, whose singing can amplify the spread of airborne respiratory viruses. The Corsi-Rosenthal boxes, when properly used, can remove over 99% of viruses and pollutant particles and enable students to stand together and sing without catching illnesses. Because there are no windows in Hannah’s classroom, there is no option to create secondary airflow or allow fresh air to enter the space. The kits have created the experience of having open windows and fresh air circulating in an inexpensive, effective way. As Hannah observes, "My choir students are singing every day, but they aren't getting sick”, despite the room's limited circulation.
“My students have noticed a difference”
The Corsi-Rosenthal boxes are a game-changer for Hannah’s classroom. By providing a cost-effective and efficient solution to poor air quality, these DIY air purifiers have created a healthier, more pleasant learning environment for all. The improved air quality has not only enhanced the overall classroom experience but has also contributed to better student health and well-being.
Hannah is even curious about academic impact - “it would be really interesting to see what the grade book reflects about how clean air can aid in students having clear minds to focus on learning. My students have noticed a difference since putting the Corsi-Rosenthal boxes into action. Included with the kit is a particle counter that shows how effective the boxes are on any given day. Students love to make sure we are as close to 0 microns as possible in each class. Students take pride in having a clean space, so allowing students to help contribute to creating a safe, easy-breezy environment for learning is important and exciting.”