Feng Shui Your Faculty Room

I've written a book and many articles about the value of Feng Shui in classrooms.  But how about adding this spiritually uplifting concept to the faculty room?  Typically, those dens are havens for discarded newsletters, yesterday's newspapers, and inedible leftovers in the faculty fridge.  Some, as in the first school I ever taught, don't even have windows to allow fresh air to filter through the mess and odors.  The picture I chose for today's blog is of a faculty room at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah.  WOW!   Is that a fireplace???

Here then, are some suggestions for Feng Shui-ing the faculty room if you don't work at Westminster College!

1. Reduce clutter by adding a paper recycling bin near the door.  Make sure someone empties it frequently.  Also, at the end of the day, all lose papers should be placed in that recycling bin.  If they were so unimportant that they were left on the table, they can certainly be easily recycled.
2. Clean out the fridge once a week.  Discourage faculty from leaving anything except a lunch bag or box in the fridge.  Old bottles of catsup, half-full bottles of soda, and leftover hoagies begin to grow a personality all their own after a while.
3. Add a touch of the natural like round-leafed plants near the window.  No windows? No problem.  Most plants tolerate flourescent lights just find.  Remember to avoid pointy-leafed plants and cactus, as they bring in the "poison arrows."  Use those Glass Plant Watering Bulbs so the plants get enough moisture.  Plants also replace the oxygen and remove carbon dioxide in a stuffy faculty room.
4. For a different touch of the natural, and a calming influence, add a fish tank near the door.  Remember to assign someone to feed the fish daily or get an Everyday Fish Feeder Programmable Automatic Food Dispenser and refill it as needed.  This also solves the problem of who's going to feed the fish over vacation or on snow days. 
5. Follow the Bagua when you plan the areas in the faculty room.  For example, if you have wooden mail boxes, they should be on the left side of the room as you enter.  Metal mailboxes should be on the right side of the room.
6. When your district indicates that they are upgrading the walls and floors, make this suggestion:  Pale green is a calming color that works well in an eating area.  Floors should be linoleum or other similar material that is easy to clean.  I've been in faculty rooms where the carpet smells like yesterday's spill... for the rest of the year.
7. If you don't have any windows, create one.  No, I don't mean you should knock out the brick wall.  Simply place an interesting, scenic poster on the wall and attach curtains around it to give the illusion of space.  That's what I did forty years ago in my first school before I even knew about the value of Feng Shui!
8. Finally, consider the needs of your faculty.  If they like to chat all together, arrange the tables in a square or U-shape.  If you find that they prefer to sit with their departmentalized buddies, then use separate tables place far enough apart to avoid bumping into each other when they get up. 

All of the Feng Shui suggestions I have in my book, Feng Shui for the Classroom, also work for faculty rooms!

And now to make you teachers out there really jealous.... here is a video of a faculty room makeover: http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Makeover-a-High-School-Teachers-Lounge-93890400

Happy Teaching!

Bed-Sharing and SIDS

Since the late 1980s, studies have indicated that the incidences of SIDS decreased dramatically when parents began to place their infants on their backs to sleep.  However, a new study in the January 2012 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics indicates that an additional risk factor is involved - placing a sleeping infant in the bed with a sleeping parent.  Additionally, the study analyzed the difference between smoking and non-smoking parents as another contributing factor for SIDS when babies are placed in the bed with their parents. 

The 20-year study used 2,464 cases and 6,495 control subjects.  Here's what the very reliable study indicated:

1. There is a direct correlation between bed-sharing and an increased risk for SIDS. 

2. When parents smoked, the risk of SIDS increased even further. (However, they could not separate in utero maternal smoking from those who smoked around their infants.)

3. The risk for SIDS while bed-sharing increased 10X for infants under 12 weeks.  The risk for infants over 12 weeks was not elevated during bed-sharing.  The study indicated that older infants are better able to free themselves from a smothering situation.  The researchers also noted that bed-sharing infants have a higher skin temperature, which may also contribute to SIDS. 

4. Bed sharing during one night when the baby does not routinely share the bed doubles the risk for SIDS.  Researchers suggested that the reason may be because the child is already ill, which would cause the parents to sleep with the child. 

5. Temporary bed sharing for comforting or feeding does not increase the risk for SIDS.

6. Infants who slept with adults on a sofa were at higher risk for SIDS than infants who slept with adults in a bed.

The bottom line:  Bed sharing strongly increases the risk of SIDS..  This risk is greatest when parents smoke and in infants who are under 12 weeks old.  The risk is particularly high with young infants whether the parent smokes or not.

Happy, safe parenting!

10 Reasons to Encourage Breakfast

You've heard it before - Breakfast provides a strong start to your children's day.  But have you ever thought about the reasons why you should plan a few extra minutes in the morning for a hearty breakfast?  Here are ten...

1. Boost blood sugar to your brain. After 8-10 hours of no food, your brain needs a boost of glucose to jump start its engine.  That's why the first meal of the day is break-fast!  Without this fresh supply of glucose, your children won't be able to process the information their teachers present in the first few classes of the day.  Most carbohydrates contain glucose, but choose complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain and bran cereals, to give your children brain energy throughout the morning.
2. Add nutrients to your body. Most breakfast cereals are fortified with essential nutrients that the body can store throughout the day and use as needed.  Nutrients such as folate, B-vitamins, iron, fiber, and other nutrients help the body use its energy efficiently. Without these helpers, the carbohydrates could create an energy spike, making your children energy deficient by mid-morning.
3. Lower cholesterol. Studies show that people who skip breakfast have higher cholesterol levels.  Start now to show your children the proper way to help their heart later in life.
4. Decrease risk of diabetes and obesity. Breakfast helps prevent many metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity.  Eating a hearty breakfast early in the day helps children's metabolism throughout the rest of the day.
5. Discourage anorexia. An Australian study found that thirteen-year-old girls who did not eat breakfast were more likely to become anorexic and have other eating distorders.  Skipping a meal to control weight is very unproductive becuase the teens tend to graze on the wrong foods like donuts later in the day.
6. Develop healthy skin. Tell your teens that eggs contain lutein, which helps protect the skin's elasticity.   Eggs are packed with nutrients like zinc that are good for acne. 
7. Feel good! Emotionally, eating breakfast will give you a better view of the world and your body. Add blueberries to your pancakes or cereal.  They are a natural feel-good food because they contain so many antioxidants.
8. Balance your daily intake.  If you eat three meals a day plus an occasional snack between meals, you have achieved food balance.  If your children eliminate breakfast because they're late for the bus, they must cram all their nutrients into two meals plus snacks.  This leads to chronic overeating in the long run and low energy early in the day.
9. Boost immune system. A study in the Netherlands indicated that people who eat breakfast have a stronger immune system to combat the common cold and other virus-borned diseases.  Without going into all the technical explanation for their findings, let it suffice to say that they noticed a 17% drop in attendance at work due to illness for adults who did not eat breakfast.  That means that children who do not eat breakfast are more likely to lose thirty days of school each year!
10. Live longer. Another study showed that people who lived to be 100 years old were consistent breakfast eaters.  If you cancel out other problems like smoking and drinking, by simply eating a hearty breakfast, your children will live long enough to help you in your senior years!

Remember, sugary cereals and pop tarts are not acceptable substitutes for a healthy breakfast choice. Here are two recipes from my other website for make-ahead breakfasts that you can serve all week long: http://www.reneeheiss.com/my_recipes#christmas  The Christmas breakfast casserole has been a favorite of my family's for over thirty years and the hearty healthy oatmeal casserole lasts for many days and can be reheated as needed.

For more information, read this book: SMART SCHOOL TIME RECIPES: The Breakfast, Snack, and Lunchbox Cookbook for Healthy Kids and Adults
And for tips on HOW to encourage kids to eat breakfast, see my other blogpost: http://parent-teacher-child-connection.blogspot.com/2012/04/5-ways-to-encourage-breakfast.html

Added 12-5-12:  I just found more evidence that eating a healthy breakfast contributes to our ability to make good decisions: http://blogs.voanews.com/science-world/2012/10/19/skipping-breakfast-prompts-brain-to-make-poor-food-choices/

Happy parenting!