School, Snow Days, and Schedule Disruption
Snow days are a much anticipated day off for most students. There is even a whole list of snow day superstitions that students follow diligently; turn your pajamas inside out, flush an ice cube down the toilet, and sleep with a spoon under your pillow, just to name a few. I have memories of placing my spoon underneath my pillow each night before a snowstorm, hoping I'd get to sleep in the next day. But are the ramifications worth the eight hours of freedom? I asked myself this question after visiting the Swift House team at Williston Central School last Thursday. They had just come back from a snow day, and suddenly, I began to see snow days through the eyes of a teacher, and not from the perspective of a student.
As my group and I walked into the bright yellow halls of Swift House, we were struck by the quietness of all the classrooms. As a middle school team consisting of fifth through eighth graders, I fully expected to walk into a loud, energetic environment. I soon realized, however, why there was a hush amongst everyone. As a teacher explained, their normal schedule was complicated by the snowstorm, and students were focused on catching up with the work they had missed the day before. The altered schedule also changed our roles within the classroom. Instead of working with ELL students like we had anticipated, we were each placed in literature circles, which were being held that Thursday due to the snow day the day before. Although sitting in the literature circle was a lot of fun, especially since I am an English major, I could easily see how stressed the teachers were when tasked with combining two days worth of instructional planning into one. It's not an easy task, and it can wreak havoc on normal scheduling.
According to an article by Jamie Gumbrecht, writer for CNN, snow days could mean that, "Students could go hungry..or be left alone...or get into trouble", and, "closing school means less time to learn". We often recognize the problem of lost instructional time, but we forget that for some students, school is the only safe space that they have. School breakfast and lunch may be their only consistent meals, and when school gets canceled, they could go hungry. By not meeting these basic needs, they are also not meeting the bottom tiers of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, as mentioned in my previous blog post. So, it is easy to see that snow days pose far more risks than we give them credit for.
Weather is unpredictable, and it certainly can't be controlled, but what can be controlled is how we react to it. When snow causes a cancellation, we now have more to reflect on, because it could be impacting our students in multiple ways.
Check out this video from ktvn.com for a better look into how snow days affect school
As my group and I walked into the bright yellow halls of Swift House, we were struck by the quietness of all the classrooms. As a middle school team consisting of fifth through eighth graders, I fully expected to walk into a loud, energetic environment. I soon realized, however, why there was a hush amongst everyone. As a teacher explained, their normal schedule was complicated by the snowstorm, and students were focused on catching up with the work they had missed the day before. The altered schedule also changed our roles within the classroom. Instead of working with ELL students like we had anticipated, we were each placed in literature circles, which were being held that Thursday due to the snow day the day before. Although sitting in the literature circle was a lot of fun, especially since I am an English major, I could easily see how stressed the teachers were when tasked with combining two days worth of instructional planning into one. It's not an easy task, and it can wreak havoc on normal scheduling.
According to an article by Jamie Gumbrecht, writer for CNN, snow days could mean that, "Students could go hungry..or be left alone...or get into trouble", and, "closing school means less time to learn". We often recognize the problem of lost instructional time, but we forget that for some students, school is the only safe space that they have. School breakfast and lunch may be their only consistent meals, and when school gets canceled, they could go hungry. By not meeting these basic needs, they are also not meeting the bottom tiers of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, as mentioned in my previous blog post. So, it is easy to see that snow days pose far more risks than we give them credit for.
Weather is unpredictable, and it certainly can't be controlled, but what can be controlled is how we react to it. When snow causes a cancellation, we now have more to reflect on, because it could be impacting our students in multiple ways.
Check out this video from ktvn.com for a better look into how snow days affect school
Very thoughtful and considered. while snow days are delightful for some students, you are correct, others may be hungry or left alone while parents work.
ReplyDeleteHey, Kelli! I remember the joy of snow days, but I never thought about what the breaks mean for students who lack consistent structure at home-- that is, until I started our Education program. While the dependability on school for some students is extremely important, do you think snow days could work in favor for other students? Beyond the excitement of a day off, what about students who need the extra break in the school week for anxiety or social reasons?
ReplyDeleteI love the consideration of multiple perspectives here. Through the perspective of a teacher, I would initially think that snow days could be a hassle because they put a halt on learning and increase stress on students upon their return to make up for lost time. Little did I think of students who may use the school as a safety zone and how one or multiple days off in a row could become a question of whether they will fulfill basic needs such as eating full meals. It becomes a tricky decision, however, when school is closed due to roads too dangerous to transport students, keeping all students' safety in mind, yet, usually not considering the outcomes for underpriveledged students. What solutions can schools create to solve this problem?
ReplyDeleteI remember the joy I felt whenever we had a snow day in school. We got to stay home and hang out with friends- what could be better? I never thought about the possibility that some students would find snow days stressful. Not knowing what they would have to catch up on the next day, not knowing where their food would come from or who would be there to watch them, etc. All of those are valid concerns, and ones that I was lucky enough not to have. Students with disabilities are drastically affected by snow days. One of my classmates in middle school was autistic. Whenever there was a slight change in the schedule, he would be upset and completely thrown off. Do you think schools can do anything to prevent the mishap that comes with snow days, or do you think it's completely out of their hands?
ReplyDelete