Snow Day

As a student, I didn't think there was anything more glorious than seeing one single word in the winter: CLOSED. But I was WRONG--it is far more satisfying to see CLOSED as a teacher than as a student. Need proof? Boom!!!!

And those are only two of the many social media posts that appeared within minutes of the CLOSED announcement. Yet I continually stand by my assertion that we all do this job because we love it...

...bonus snow day giddiness notwithstanding. So why do we get so wound up? Well, we can't help it. We don't have to plan or grade or do anything related to work (unless we choose to do so which, yeah, we pretty much all do). This is the stack of grading, researching, and planning I did on the day off, and I'd bet it's a small workload compared to many others.

But in between doing my work (in a hoodie from the comfort of my sofa--always a bonus!), I was able to stop being a "teacher", if only for short bursts at a time.

We made s'mores in the fireplace...

...went to the store to peruse the trendiest winter fashions...

...and made the most of, well, the snow.

I firmly believe that the best part of teaching is the people: my students and my coworkers. That's why the other parts of the job can be so infuriating: the paperwork, the politics, the ever-changing expectations and dictates about how to do the job. So why does a snow day (or even the potential for one) make us so excited?

Because it lets us (and our kiddos) take some unplanned time to relax, to recharge, to enjoy moments for ourselves, something we so rarely get on a typical work day. We can play in the moment and enjoy the experience without the added drama--something that brought so many of us to the classroom in the first place.

Stay warm, my loves.☺️