Do ‘Snow Days’ Still Exist in the Treasure Valley?
Remote learning might be taking away one of the best parts of childhood.
I've been going through a lot of stuff from my childhood recently. My parents sold the house I grew up in and there are a lot of boxes in storage that need to be sorted out. I've found so many little memories like my letterman jacket, yearbooks, old toys... It has caused me to think a lot about my life as a kid.
Obviously this winter has been different than most because of COVID. This school year and much of last year were changed dramatically with this virus too. Most kids moved to a remote learning method that was quite the learning curve for students, parents and teachers alike.
And while I believe that being in the classroom with other students and teachers is vital to a child's growth in general, I really feel that remote learning has crushed the "snow day."
I remember as a kid praying fervently for a snow day. Anytime the weatherman was calling for snow, I would drop to my knees before bed and ask for a day off. The next morning I would get ready for the day ever so slowly, just waiting for that phone to ring. Hearing my mom hang up the phone and call up the stairs "SNNOOOOW DAAYYYY" was the best feeling in the world! Not only could I go back to sleep, but I knew that there would be no responsibilities for the day aside from building a snow man and drinking hot chocolate.
Is that even a thing for kinds anymore?
I don't have kids, so you'll have to enlighten me. It seems to me that if teachers can still teach via Zoom, then having the day off is a thing of the past. I can't imagine being a kid, trying to pay attention to the lesson when there's perfectly good snow falling outside my window.
In fact, I was chatting with a friend about this recently. She's a professor in Texas and she still had to record lessons for her classes even when the entire state was covered in snow and ice. Many of her students didn't even have power at the time. That's nuts! Before remote learning became a widespread thing, this wouldn't have even been a thought.
What do you think, does the snow day still exist?