Check out our list of preemptive safety measures for your classroom.

In a mature building, watch out for overcrowded outlets. Ask the janitor for guidance if you begin to need more electrical outlets. You may not be in fulfillment with city codes and could be asked to unplug some of your electrical equipment.

Remain alert of the air quality in your room. Don’t burn candles in your room, and beware of using room deodorizers. Some learners are allergic to certain odors. If a musty smell prevails, ask the janitor to check the air. Mold can cause health issues. If the janitor cannot help you, talk with the school principal.

Call the school nurse and ask them to discuss procedures for sending learners to the nurse’s office. Find out how learners get their medication, which learners in your room are on medication, and which learners need to be observed for various health-related symptoms. You need to be prepared on the first day of class. Obtaining information is valuable as you organize your day.

Contact on the intercom or phone or send a learner immediately to the nurse or the principal’s office if a learner needs immediate assistance. Instruct the other learners to remain in their seats. If the learner is conscious, talk to the learner and reassure them that help is on the way. Decide among the adults who will call the learner’s parents/guardians.

Check that fire, tornado, and earthquake exit instructions are well marked and visible. The law states that the directions must be easy to read and visible in the room.

Throughout the school year, desks get grimy and dirty. If you ask learners to help clean the desks, supply rubber gloves and soapy water. If you are scrubbing the desks yourself, wear rubber gloves and use a disinfectant. Once a learning environment feels clean to the touch, learners will appreciate the work. Scrubbing the desks or tables also helps to kill the germs that proliferate and cause illnesses and absenteeism.