Lights off in class

A couple of my recent HS classrooms have begged me to turn off the overhead lights during their class. Varying reasons from too bright to they make the classroom hot. Theres always some window light. Some teachers have alternative light systems that I haven’t been able to set up on the fly. My question is - is this common, and what are your thoughts about this? I’m usually hesitant to make it harder to see what kids are doing/harder for them to be alert and see their work, but I think sometimes they are right about the lighting being uncomfortable or creating heat in classrooms that have bad ventilation. The issues with classroom temperature regulation are a whole thing on their own. On the other hand some of them - I think - want to make it more comfortable to sleep during class. Are Gen Z allergic to fluorescent lighting? Theres no need for overheads if you’re looking at a backlit screen.

Posted Sep 17, 2025, 4:00 PM UTC

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