Snow Day
As a retired teacher I still go berserk when the possibility of a snow day occurs. My behavior can only be described as manic. And the mania starts the night before when I remain fixed on the TV channel that most consistently predicts snow. It's difficult not to switch back and forth between channels so I just do it. Sometimes two channels predict snowfall at the same time so my excitement leads me to wondering if we should go to the store and get some much needed items such as donuts or deli roast beef. I check to see if we have some good cheese and maybe there's a can of tomato soup hidden behind the cereal boxes in the pantry. After all, what's a snow day without tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich?
Off to bed. I get up once or twice to use the bathroom but really I'm trying to see if any flakes are visible. If they are, a little inward dance of hopeful joy begins as I head back to bed.
And what I find to be the most interesting part: I get up way earlier than I have ever done in either my teaching or retired days and once again glue myself to the TV. I am watching the trailer at the bottom of the screen as it lists the school closures for the day. Oh, please, please, please, and double please. At least we can have a late start. Those days make the work day fun and thrilling because the schedule is off kilter and so many people are absent. I rush to create a lesson that will be enjoyable, teachable, and easy for the absentees to make up,.
OH MY GOOD AND GLORIOUS FORTUNE! The heavily hoped for announcement trailers on the TV! No school! And I look outside as daylight arrives and stare gratefully at all the white I can see from my living room window. The streets are covered too, so little traffic is heard except for spinning tires trying to get out of driveways.
Of course, I hate to actually go out into the snow. It's too cold and then too wet and then too exhausting and by noon at the latest I start watching for the snow to melt so I can get back to my regular comfortable schedule. Retired teachers wait just as hopefully as working ones. We have things to do and we want them completed before the snow day totally upsets our weekly goals and plans. I begin to watch the thermometer in my back yard hoping things will warm up fast enough so I can get to school. Yes, teachers are still weird about snow days even when they are retired.
