At the beginning of the school year, I decided that I wanted to get two diffusers because my room is a rather large space. So to do that did some research, wrote a proposal and then submitted it for a local grant pay for the initial start-up costs of the diffusers and a variety of EOs. I have that below, but first I thought I would share a few pictures from my classroom and talk about what I've noticed since having them. My 7-9th graders love them! They often walk in and remark about how good it smells as do other teachers in the school! My students often want to know what EOs or mix of oils I put in & know what they do. Other teachers at the school have also come to talk to me about it which is pretty cool! In terms of smell, I've found it really does help to keep my classroom smelling great and I think, depending on what EO I have in there & what it does, I can see the effects in my students. Some days I do a blend of different EOs and other days I just put in one, like today I have peppermint in & I'm laser focused on writing this post! I will definitely need to buy more EOs, but the cost isn't so bad when you buy one at a time. For initial start-up, I used Amazon to order everything. For my EO brand, I choose Young Living EOs after doing my research on the different brands. As for the diffusers, I went with Deneve Reiverok Ultransmit because it was the only diffuser with 5 stars on Amazon and had good reviews. For me, I knew that if I was going to do this I wanted to get a diffuser that worked well, which these do, plus it is easy to care for and use. In case you are interested here is the proposal I wrote up for the grant. Healthy Lives and Minds: Using Essential Oils in the Health Classroom
"Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across thousands of miles and all the years we have lived." Helen Keller Teaching primarily middle school students, my classroom does not always have the best aroma. Even so, I want to provide my students with a pleasant and stimulating classroom that is not only easy on the nose, but also beneficial to their minds, spirits, and overall health. As a health teacher, I want to be a role model and expose them to alternative wellness methods. My Students: My students range from 7th grade to 9th grade. Our school is a 7-12 secondary school with a student population of 241. We are located about 130 miles west of the Twin Cities. Due to our location, our school has to tackle many distinct challenges that are unique to being in a rural area. This being a health classroom I love teaching my students about new and alternative methods of health care that they might not otherwise experience. I think it is important for students to have as much knowledge about health prevention and care as possible so that they can make the best-informed decisions for themselves throughout their lives. In our class we aim to address all of the six critical health behavior concerns of today’s youth, alcohol and drug use, injury and violence, tobacco use, nutrition, physical inactivity and risky sexual behaviors, according the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), all of which are preventable and are often established during childhood or adolescence. We use a comprehensive health education approach that equips my students with both the knowledge and skills needed to enhance their well-being and quality of health throughout their lives. In addition to that, comprehensive health education aims to motivate students to maintain and improve their health, prevent disease and avoid or reduce health-related risk behaviors. I believe adding essential oils to our classroom will accomplish many of these goals. My Research on Essential Oils What are Essential Oils? Essential oils are the aromatic compound naturally found in plants. In nature plants, distractive smells provide protection against predators and disease as well as assist with pollination. Throughout history, many different cultures have used EO’s for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits. How do Essential Oils interact with the Limbic System? “During inhalation, odor molecules travel through the nose and affect the brain through a variety of receptor sites, one of which is the limbic system, which is commonly referred to as the ‘emotional brain.’ The limbic system is directly connected to those parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance (Higley & Higley, 1998). This relationship helps explain why smells often trigger emotions. Knowing this, we can hypothesize how inhalation of essential oils can have some very profound physiological and psychological effects” (Halcón, 2013). Knowing this, it is easy to understand how Essential oils can have such advantageous effects on both health and mood, in children and adults. Essential oils have been shown to “reduce anxiety, increase focus, and…have a positive impact in the classroom” (Ibanez, 2013). “In his paper, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Terry S. Friedmann, M.D., M.D.(H), A.B.I.H.M., writes, “When essential oils are inhaled, they not only provide exquisite fragrances, but they have also proven to be able to produce physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being of people since the beginning of time” (Ibanez, 2013). Essential Oils not only provide mood benefits. Diffusing them can also “purify [the] air of unwanted odors and some airborne pathogens” (Ibanez, 2013). Therefore, Essential Oils serve as a both a natural disinfectant and an air purifier as well as air freshener. Below I have included a list of the Essential oils I would like to have for my classroom. I broke the list down into categories of the Essential Oils effects as well how they would benefit the students emotionally in my classroom.
Sources: Halcón, L. (2013, July 16). How do essential oils work? | Taking charge of your health & wellbeing. Retrieved from http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing -practices/aromatherapy/how-do-essential-oils-work Ibanez, Z. (2013, December 10). Essential Oils and Kids. Retrieved from http://educationaladvancement.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/essential-oils-and-kids/
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AuthorI teach 7-9 Health Education & Computer 7 in rural southwestern Minnesota. I love using technology in my classroom and teaching students about how to live healthy and informed lives.
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