Snow days bring their share of questions and hassles, as students and adults alike are asking: Will school let out early because of the snow? Will we have school tomorrow? And, for you, the teacher, just how do you adjust your amazing lesson plans?
Keep these things in mind as you experience your first snow days:
Be ready for interruptions. You may have more tardies and absences, since students may not be able to get to school on time. Understand that that is a possibility and know that you’ll probably need to help tardy students get back on track with the rest of the class.
BE FLEXIBLE! Your daily calendar and lesson plans can fall victim to the weather. Remember that it’s truly no one’s fault (unless you want to blame yourself for not taking that teaching job in Hawaii). The calmer you deal with these changes, the calmer your students will respond, as well.
Expect your students to be more excited and bubbly–as they wait to hear an early release announcement or as they come back to school after a snow day and want to discuss what they did on their day off. If it’s a real problem, alter your activities to include more desk work, which should keep your students a little calmer.
Take advantage of the season, if possible. If your students are excited about the snow, try to alter your assignments to make the most of it. For English class, can you work in some winter poetry? Or snow images for art? How can you work in a brief study of weather in one of your classes? Check out this website: Snow Day Resources
Have “extra” but meaningful assignments prepared to keep students focused. If they’re bubbling because of the weather, don’t be surprised if they fly through the regular activities and you need to supplement. Down time and snow days aren’t a good combination!
Take a few minutes to simply enjoy the fun spirit that a new snowfall can create! You have a front-row ticket to possibly the best place there is to experience the world: Your classroom.
And, finally, if and when you DO get a snow day, enjoy! Cozy up to a hot chocolate, a good book, or some binge-worthy TV time. Don’t let your students have ALL the fun.
Katie Omo, a music education graduate, is in her first year of teaching at Prairie Ridge Elementary School in the DeSoto School District.
As the general music K-5 teacher at Prairie Ridge Elementary School, Katie rotates in about 200 students a day and sees about 450 twice a week. She also has a 75-member choir that meets every Tuesday and Thursday morning before school.
Her favorite part of teaching “is simply getting to know my students and build relationships with them,” she said. “My students are a bunch of cool little people, and each one of them excels at different things. It is so fun to learn their interests, have them tell me what they do outside of school, and help them uncover talents they might not have known they had. My students make my job a dream.”
She has, though, been surprised at just how talented her young students can be.
“What has surprised me most about teaching is being blown away by what students can create and do when they put their mind to it,” she said. “When I have auditions for grade level performances, I am always so surprised at some of the kids’ emotion when speaking and singing in front of large audiences. It is a great feeling knowing that you helped them get there.”
But, she says she has much to work on in her new career. Any specifics, Katie?
“One word…Kindergarten,” she said. “Oh my, those little humans are so full of life and have so much more energy than I could possibly possess. However, we have come a long way since day one. Until about my third week in, it never occurred to me that this is the first time kindergarten students have ever ‘been in’ or ‘done’ school, and they assume nothing…rules, expectations, running out of the classroom, nothing. It was a learning experience for the all of us, and I now feel much more prepared and comfortable when teaching them and knowing how to plan. They also are the cutest and say the absolute best lines.”
Katie (front right) directs one of her music groups at a performance.
She also provides some advice for fellow and future new teachers.
“Every day is a new day,” she said. “No matter how long you’ve been in college, how many classrooms you’ve volunteered in, or how well your blocks/student teaching have gone…, once you’re on your own, it’s a new ballgame, my friends. The game is full of emotions—exciting, scary, hilarious, sleep depravity—and you definitely play more than nine innings. The good news is…if you strike out, you get back up to the plate and start swinging again. If something doesn’t work or you make a mistake, brush it off because in about 30 minutes something else you didn’t plan for will happen and you are now onto another task. Take time to enjoy the home runs!
“Your students will surprise you, trust you, and love you just as much as you love them,” she said. “Remember to celebrate small victories as much as large. Another surprise is, as soon as one game ends, another begins. You will be running around bases more than you’d ever expected and then do it all again the next day. Sometimes you will lose, but other times you will win! Just remember, mistakes are normal and can only make you better—it’s just up to you to see the good in each one and move forward. Teaching rocks and is the best game you could ever play.”
Katie is also appreciative of her time in the music education program at KSU.
“I could never say enough good things about KSU’s COE and how much more prepared I have felt in my first year of teaching than I ever thought was possible,” she said. “I have a countless number of resources such as technological, literature, professionalism, and psychological resources I use daily, all learned throughout my classes in the COE. I felt prepared to conduct conferences with parents, understanding how to create different types of assessments/rubrics for my kids, create a comfortable and safe environment in my classroom, and how to read/help create IEPs and 504s for the success of my students. Compared to other first-year teachers I am working with, I have always been able to say I knew what administrators were talking about or expected because it is something that was covered in my COE classes.”
She may be out on her own in her classroom, but Katie said she continues to find support from the KSU faculty.
“You will definitely miss them once you’re finished, but it is a good feeling knowing they will still help you with anything they can after college too.”
Do you have a question about classroom procedures? Or a suggestion for a topic we should address in Before the Bell? Want to add your name to our mailing list? Or provide a different email for our mailing list? Or, if you’re in your first year of teaching, send us a photo of you at work in your classroom!
Second-year teachers, feel free to jump in and offer suggestions to those who are following your career choice!
It’s official! Winter has arrived and will be sticking around for several more weeks! Here are a few suggestions to keep you warm, happy, and teaching through the winter months:
It’s cold and flu season, so watch out for those germs! Use disinfectants on door knobs, often-used items around the room, and anti-bacterial lotion for your hands. Keep boxes of facial tissues on hand, as students will go through them quickly. (It might be a good time to request a few boxes from parents.)
Messy weather also brings messy items into your classroom. You’ll have snow and slush tracked in, so be ready for spur-of-the-moment clean ups. Throw a few old towels and a roll of paper towels into your storage closet.
Cold weather also means more winter coats, hats, mittens, and other gear to keep track of and store through the day, so develop a system that allows easy access for recess or at the end of the day, yet keeps them out of your day during class time. (Need some ideas on that? Check with your hallway neighbor to see what he or she does.)
Allow extra time for bundling up younger students! Parents and guardians will appreciate that you spent that extra time making sure their children were protected as they head to a school bus or walk home.
For your own well being, be sure to layer your clothing, since schools often can shift from too cold to too warm on a day-to-day basis. Store an extra sweater or jacket in a closet just in case.
Allow yourself extra time to get to your school. Sacrificing a few extra minutes of a morning can save you time by helping you avoid a fender-bender…and a visit with the police…and a visit with your insurance agent…well, you get the idea.
Once you get your winter system in place, you can fine-tune it and slush through whatever winter has to offer!
Need another place to go for support and info? Need a little more purple in your life? Then you need to be a part of #WeAreEdCats! Check out the website at coe.k-state.edu/edcats!
In case you haven’t made the connections yet, two of your new best friends should be a custodian and an office assistant. Rumor has it those individuals can save you a mountain of trouble by helping you figure things out in your new school. With bad weather moving in, all sorts of spring activities that will be bubbling up, and other happenings, they can provide advice to help you manage all of these things.
Rumor has it a custodian once saved a new teacher when she found out that her room was going to be used for a music festival. The custodian not only gave the teacher a heads up about it, but walked to her room and helped her arrange her room to avoid any issues with equipment, etc. Not naming names here, but I truly appreciated it!
Often they’ve been in the building for some time and know the system, so use…and appreciate…those resources.
Look at the calendar! You’re shifting into second semester and life is good, right? Well, just in case you need a little cheering on–and maybe a smile or two, we’re going to provide the following stories in our next issue:
Assessments—how you AND your students can succeed!
Silly first-year teacher mistakes your professors made.
Ideas for collaboration with other secondary teachers.
