IMPROVISED SNOW DAY

It's snowing. Not blizzarding; rather a gentle spitting of continuous flakes, not even pace enough to coat the roads. So, of course, we do not have a district snow day. This is actually a huge relief because I want the school year to end on time. I have places to go, people to see, and things to accomplish.

The students are both excited that it is a snowy Friday and disappointed that they don't get another long weekend. Earlier, upon arrival at work, I immediately start changing my plans for the day because I know that there is no way the students are going to work diligently on a packet of story-related questions while it's snowing outside the giant windows to my room. 

Instead, we start with a cartoon video version of the short story we've been working on, complete a compare and contrast discussion about the story and the cartoon, and then we move on to group work (the dreaded story questions packet). Sometimes while we're working, I put on music in the background, usually coffee shop type jazz, and show a topical, curriculum-related picture on the Eno Board (a glorified overhead projector).

Sometimes. But not today.

Instead, I put on a video loop of a cozy fire in a fireplace. Our workspace converts into a comfy den or perhaps a family room. Either way, the phony fire feels (falsely) warm and welcoming in a classroom swirling with ideas while the snow swirls outside.

It may not be a traditional snow day, but we improvise and create our own version. It's almost as good as a real snow day, but without that abject disappointment in June for a make-up day.