Disclaimer: I wrote this little story as an example for my students who couldn’t figure out what to write. A few of them followed my “Diary” example. Since teachers are Griffins, too, I decided to include it in our crowd-sourced Snow Week story.
Saturday, January 4
All of the weather forecasters predict snow…A LOT OF SNOW. They say that this first snowfall of 2025 could be bigger than any winter storm in a decade.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
Just in case, though, I created menus for the week, made my grocery list and ordered “all” the food my husband, pets and I will need if we get snowed into our cozy little home on Lake Lotawana.
In other news! I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting in decades. Praise me! I’m happy to have a supportive group beside me and a plan of action…and, most importantly, determination.
Sunday, January 5
YES! The snow is really coming down now. As predicted, the blizzard began yesterday around 4 p.m. (For once, the weather people were spot on!)
I watch the snow fall from the front windows of our great room. I love the beauty of it all. I can already see the edges of the lake beginning to freeze and the geese trying to figure out their next moves.
The snowplow passes our home again. My husband laughs as I make another hash mark on my paper. “That’s 20 times already,” I said. Have I mentioned that our little lake community does a phenomenal job clearing roads before, during and after winter storms?
With the Chiefs’ game playing in the background (too disappointing to actually watch that game…Chiefs 0 v. Broncos 38…oph!), I work on creating my Canvas Classrooms and writing new photo and writing projects for my J1 students.
Our youngest son Josh, who is an EMT, texts. “Again, DO NOT DRIVE AT ALL…a snow plow just rolled over so I’m being serious” (Uh…punctuation is NOT how he rolls…especially when texting.)
We hadn’t planned to, and now we definitely won’t.
Oh how I would LOVE a snow day. I could use more time to prepare.
Monday, January 6
SNOW DAY! YAY!
I spend the day watching the snow, counting snowplow passes (up to 40 now) and creating the project modules.
Oh sure! I take tiny breaks to photograph the snow…lake…”clean” road in front of my home. I text all of these to friends and family.
“You got our snow,” Aunt Lin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan said. She is bummed.
“Oh my!” said my step-sister Mary in Half Moon Bay, CA.
Sending a picture of a sunny field, our oldest son Jonah texts, “Guess we have to go to work.” He and his wife recently moved to Omaha, NE and bought their first home…and snow blower. Clearly, he wishes that he could be using it.
The sun sets, and I STILL haven’t finished creating these project modules. Great news, though! Virtual learning day tomorrow. I’d already anticipated and planned for this, so I am good to go.
Tuesday, January 7
Well, sadly, not many students “showed up” for class today. I enjoyed spending time with those who did, though.
B Days are my staff days, so I don’t have as many kids in those classes anyway. They know what do to…work on Odyssey yearbook and work in TonkaNews.com for Griffin Rites. I have my J1s writing & taking photos for a crowd-sourced “Snow Day” article. We’ve got this!
I respond to all of my students’ discussion posts…and I keep creating those %&^^%*%$ project modules. (The struggle is REAL!)
Wednesday, January 8
Back to virtual learning again. Today it’s A Day and time with my J1 photographers.
I had a better turn out today, but I’m pretty sure that is because I figured out how to schedule my BigBlueButton conferences so that students actually see the meeting added to their calendars. (The struggle is real…)
It was fun to “see” them, although no one but me seems brave enough to use the camera. ARG! It’s tough talking to a computer.
They seem to have some good ideas for the crowd-sourced “Snow Day” article. I’m excited.
After school, my husband and I shoveled our driveway and worked to dig out my car…just in case. Then, I FINALLY finished the modules…and fell asleep on the couch while reading.
Thursday, January 9
Whoo Hoo! Another B-Day virtual day!
Honestly, I’ve enjoy this quite a bit. I love teaching from my couch, cuddling with my kitties, petting my dog, visiting with my hubby (he works from home) and looking at the now frozen-over lake. (Uh, no! I do not believe it is frozen enough to walk on yet…but one day!)
After teaching, I will spend the day setting up my grade book in PowerSchool and then grading assignments…or napping…or…nah, PowerSchool. I tell myself that the extra hours I put in this week will pay off down the road. I sure hope that I’m right.
The weather people predict more snow today and tomorrow…I predict a fourth virtual learning day. YES!
Friday, January 10
Called it! Boy am I thankful, too. I finally finished setting up my grade book after supper time yesterday. Preparing for a successful semester takes so much more time that students realize.
Once again, I enjoyed my time with students “in class” today.
I finish up some “housekeeping” for work by answering emails, writing a proposal for professional development, calling a parent and catching up on my grading.
With a few hours of daylight, I consider working on the yearbook, but decide to nap, read or binge watch a show (“Lessons in Chemistry” perhaps) instead.
Oh sure…after five virtual learning days, we get real snow days again, but we will have days tacked on to the end of the school year. I’m probably the only person who wants that to happen. WHY!?! Well, then I have more people available to help finish up the yearbook and meet our publisher’s final due date.
