It was a hot day when I started my new language course, and as soon as I entered the room, I noticed that the air was thick and stuffy.
Feeling the weight of the heat already pressing down on me as I sat down on my desk, I could feel the sweat forming on my forehead and in my armpits.
I just couldn’t understand why the windows weren’t open. I tried to focus on the lesson, but I kept thinking of the heat and whether I should tell the teacher. My shyness, however, held me back, and I continued to try and focus on the lesson while longing for a blissful breeze to provide relief. However, I could feel my energy draining away and knew I had to do something about it soon. I raised my hand and asked the teacher if he could turn on the air conditioner. The teacher said the school couldn’t afford an HVAC system and suggested I bring in a fan from home. I couldn’t help but think about the importance of quality HVAC systems in public classrooms because comfort is needed for the student to perform adequately. That’s when I began to daydream about all classrooms having zoned HVAC systems with temperature controls in every seat. Finally, the bell rang, and I quickly stumbled out of the building to breathe in fresh air. I made a mental note to request air conditioning from the course provider and to bring my mini USB fan next time I have to endure that dreadful classroom.