Not your grandmother’s snow day

Teacher or student, I’ve always loved me a snow day. (For you English teachers, I realize that is not proper grammar. I’m writing in casual conversation here…)

I grew up in southern Kansas. Snow days were rare. My best recollection of a snow day was the winter of 1971 when my dad wrapped Wonder Bread sacks around our shoes and let us romp in a glorious deep virgin snow. That February blizzard dumped 10-13 inches of snow on us and the visibility was near zero. I have home movie footage to prove it.

Glorious.

I must be part polar bear and my ancestors must have lived in igloos.

Other than 1971, don’t remember Kansas winters being too dramatic. More sensational were ice days. There’s nothing as biting as a Kansas wind in the winter. Windy Chicago ain’t got nothing on the Kansas wind.

I know. I’ve experienced both. Our high school was an open campus where we walked outdoors between buildings for every class. They have since enclosed all those sidewalks. How will today’s students build a strong constitution with all that pampering? A real winter-hardened-Kansan grows up frozen to the bone, ears aching from the wind blowing through their skull, freezing and preserving brain cells. It makes us smarter. It does. I promise. (Proof.)

When I married, I moved to the gloriously snowy north. (Note to pro writers: Don’t judge me. I love me some tasty adverbs.) Buckets of snow meant snuggling inside with hot cocoa, a raging fire, and piles of books. It was heavenly. I love snow days because the introvert in me relishes hiding. With books. And plenty of hot drinks. (I’ve graduated from hot cocoa to chai lattes.)

Fast forward to 2018. I’m now a 21st-century educator (8th-grade special education). Snow days no longer resemble those glorious olden-days of hiding from society, making ginormous pots of chili, and spending a long day under cozy blankets with piles of books (of my choice).

These days technology connects us all 24-7. Technology gives us the ability to connect with our students at school no matter where they are. Instead of snow days, we have eLearning days. GoGuardian allows me to watch their computer screens to see whether or not they are hard at work. I can chat with them and answer their questions. School boards everywhere are turning snow days into eLearning days.

It’s a good thing, I suppose.  eLearning days result in fewer days we have to make up snow days in the spring.

But I must admit, I miss the good old snow days of snoozing until I wake up, catching up on my to-be-read pile, and making chili. I miss catching up on my laundry and housekeeping. (Not really, but it would be irresponsible to not at least thinking about catching up, right?)

The days they are a-changing. My love-hate relationship with technology continues. So many advantages.

But also, so many ways to ruin a good old-fashioned snow day.

How about you? What do you remember and like most about snow days? Are you a snow lover like me or a snow hater?

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