How to Operate a Robot Vacuum Cleaner in the Classroom

It’s already been four years since I started using a robot vacuum cleaner in my classroom.

This year, my goal is to have the students take full responsibility for managing the robot vacuum so that I don’t have to worry about it at all.

Tried Using a Robot Vacuum Cleaner in the School Classroom

One day, while lazing around at home, I found an interesting item on Karrot Market. A nice-looking robot vacuum cleaner was listed for 60,000 won. Seeing the robot vacuum suddenly made me think: shall I try running a robot vacuum in the school classroom? Below is my class’s room. Because of the nature of classrooms, there are a lot of obstacles ...

earthscience.kr

Running a Robot Vacuum Cleaner in the School Classroom

Results after running a robot vacuum cleaner bought on Karrot in school for three months

earthscience.kr

1. Operating the robot vacuum cleaner

What I found surprisingly interesting was that many students had never cleaned a robot vacuum cleaner before.

Even though it’s a simple task like emptying the dustbin and removing hair by taking out the brush on the underside, they still needed instruction.

Sometimes they even put the brush in backwards, so the cleaning didn’t work properly.

So when you first teach them how to handle the robot vacuum, it’s important for the teacher to watch together and then check again the next day.

First, let’s find a suitable spot for the docking station.

In my class, we placed the robot vacuum at the front left side of the classroom.

And two students take turns each week as cleaning duty helpers.

The roles of the two students on cleaning duty are as follows:

• Put chairs up on desks that don’t have an owner present

• Pick up large trash that the robot vacuum can’t suck up

• Lift internet cables and HDMI cables that would get in the way of cleaning

• Turn off the lights and TV

• Start the vacuum and then close the windows and classroom door

• In the morning, empty the dustbin and clean the robot vacuum

We ran it like this for the entire month of March, and I’m happy that the students followed through so well.

The kids are happy because they get to go home earlier, and I’m happy because homeroom closing and wrap-up go faster.

2. Maintaining the robot vacuum cleaner

Since it’s used in a classroom, consumables wear out extremely fast.

So I definitely recommend buying a used one at a low price and running that.

The teacher should also have some basic knowledge about robot vacuums.

It’s even better if you can handle simple repairs like battery replacement, wheel replacement, etc.

There are plenty of YouTube videos, so you can easily follow along for simple tasks.

If you’re clueless about machines, you can also borrow your students’ skills.

3. Afterthoughts

When students from another class saw our class using a robot vacuum, they pooled their money and even made it part of the class president’s campaign promises because they wanted one too, so that class’s homeroom teacher brought in an unused robot vacuum from home and is now running it.

On my way home today, I saw their vacuum running as well, which suggests they’re quite satisfied.

At first, various problems may arise.

As students become more lax about classroom beautification, cans and other trash may increase, or when students on duty don’t properly carry out their assigned roles, homeroom teacher intervention is needed.

Even so, I think it’s better than having the students clean in the classic, old-fashioned way.

I hope you’ll give it a try at least once.