Plants in the Classroom

Qasim Awan

Plants provide many benefits that range from supporting the mind, body, and provide a healthy framework for productivity in classroom environments. They aren’t just a contributing factor to outdoor environments, but they’re very helpful for humans as well. In addition to this, plants help classroom environments by providing a safe space for mental well-being and interactive caring while also making its caretakers productive. Sciencedirect.com states that "plants on their own can help with enhancing pain tolerance or stress reduction.” This was backed up by a review analyzing prior experimental studies on the benefits of indoor plants in a psychological and physiological perspective.

Melinda Knuth, an assistant professor of horticulture science at North Carolina State University from Edweek.org states, there’s a lower chance of teachers calling out sick when plants are within classrooms. This is further emphasized by a study from 2009 that found that patients within hospital rooms that had plants had low blood pressure, increased pain tolerance, and not as much anxiety or fatigue as patients in rooms without plants (Edweek.org). 

Plants can accompany your daily routines in many ways and provide you with a healthier framework to start easy. If teachers or students want a simple hobby or activity, then it’s definitely working with plants due to the many health benefits they contribute to humans. “According to an article published in ‘Water, Air and Soil Pollution’ states that plants achieve this redeeming quality by boosting the air quality of both classrooms and outdoor environments, and puts this into action by reducing the dust in rooms by as much as 20%.” A plant that is easy to take care of are the spider plants as they don’t need much care, but with the right conditions and the right amount of sunlight (with windows or artificial lighting), and the right amount of water you can efficiently grow them. Indoor plants are also said to give people comfort, satisfaction, and happiness. Therefore, classrooms should have them if the circumstances or conditions are compatible for the plant. 

Washington Park High School science biology/life teacher Mrs. Todd states, “Plants can positively impact students and teachers by creating a calmer, more inviting atmosphere that can improve focus, reduce stress, and boost overall well-being…” This is especially true when we take into consideration the effects plants had on the patients within the hospital rooms. Mrs. Todd claims, “In horticulture, one of our purposes is to give students tools they can use for the rest of their lives, and learning how to care for indoor plants is a meaningful life skill. Especially in the Midwest, where long months of dark, dreary days can make the world feel gray, plants bring a welcome touch of green and life. They also provide a small routine—something to water, check on, or nurture—which many people find therapeutic during stressful times…” The productivity and skills associated with nurturing plants are simple, yet they offer numerous opportunities for improving environmental health and personal well-being during difficult periods.

Mrs. Todd additionally states, “Classrooms can certainly have plants, though challenges like limited natural light or dramatic temperature swings can make care difficult; for example, many of our science rooms don’t have windows, but we’re still able to keep plants thriving in horticulture because of the artificial light from grow towers. Despite these obstacles, I think people who enjoy plants should absolutely add them to their classrooms, and it’s nice to see them brightening spaces like stairways throughout the building.” Even if the environment of some classrooms makes taking care of plants nearly impossible, there are factors that can be taken into consideration like potential artificial lighting of plants or possibly having grow towers in the classrooms for students to interact with. 

What makes plants in the classroom better is that it’s applicable to any age group. Preschool kids to college students can definitely take care of plants given with the right instructions and environment. Additionally, classrooms would look a little bit brighter because the plants can accompany the simple but bland environment of classrooms. The plants would make for great companions or serve as a learning experience for students who are willing to take care or learn to be responsible.