In the Teaching Chats last week I mentioned it was -13° outside and everyone was freaking out that I was wearing a t-shirt!

So yeah, in Japan or Italy it is crazy cold inside in Winter but not all countries are like that – some are lovely and toasty even when it’s minus outside!

I used to think that freezing in the winter was the right thing to do, both financially and environmentally. But what convinced me otherwise was seeing the hospitals and the space statin (the coldest place we have!) warmed to t-shirt weather. Time is important to them so they want everyone as safe and productive as possible.

So as long as you can do it in an environmentally friendly way, you become way more productive and it is way easier to learn things if you are comfortable. Certainly learning to write Japanese characters with thick gloves on (as my students used to do!) isn’t really a fun way to do things!

So, have a think about the temperature and environment where you work, learn or teach, does it really bring out the best in what you can achieve and make it fun? Are you making the most of the heating & sunlight you have? Or is there some other environmentally & economically better way that could make things more fun, enjoyable and productive for you and/or your students?