As a teacher I can remember the snow days from the past — the snow days that did not have to be made up. Those were the good old days. Teachers and students alike always loved it when snow was in the forecast. Often I would stay up to watch the late news hoping the forecast would not change or that there was an increased accumulation predicted. There was much anticipation in the air as you would retire for bed dreaming of the snowy weather that was in the forecast. On those days, I would rise early and run to take a quick look outside. If the snow had accumulated, I would then run to the television to listen and see if we had enough snow for the schools to close. There were days that no one understood why we were in or out of school whatever the case may have been. Occasionally, there would be a 1-hour delay which created a chaotic day in attempting to complete everything necessary in the lesson plans.
In my final teaching years, there did not seem to be as much anticipation to the snow days. Snow days just don’t seem to be the same since the law changed and they must now be made up. How often do we have an excessive number of snow days that it would really matter? Unless the extra days are included in the school calendar, the school year must be extended making it difficult as many parents and teachers have already established plans for the beginning days of summer vacation. Although it sounds like it makes sense to make up the day, I often wonder how much additional learning takes place during those days.
What are your thoughts on making up snow days?
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