Snow Day Activities for Teachers and Educators

Ah, the snow has fallen, the plows are out and the news anchor is uttering those magic words: school is cancelled. Children everywhere cheer, and chances are, you’re not too sad about it either. But before you spend your entire day replanting your Farmville Farm, remember that snow days offer you the gift of extra time. So use it wisely.

Polish Your Lesson Plans: Have you always wanted to supplement your curriculum? Maybe add some hands-on science experiments? Well, now is your opportunity to make those changes. Spend a couple hours on your day off to review your current lessons and identify where changes could be made.

Catch up on Homework: If the pile of homework is taking over your desk, and the guilt is eating away at your conscious, it’s time to pull out the red pen. Getting the papers graded and scores recorded will also ensure that you are prepared for the end of the marking period. With your undivided attention focused on your students’ homework, you can also more easily see where individual students and the class as a whole might be struggling.

Continue Your Own Education: It’s no secret that teachers with Master’s Degrees earn more than those with Bachelor Degrees. If you aren’t already pursuing your graduate studies, a snow day might be a good time to poke around the internet and make some calls to learn more about programs in your area. Even if higher education isn’t in your future, it might not hurt to spend some time on professional development by picking up a book or reading online.

Head to School Anyway: It’s not unusual for the roads to be awful at 6am but clear up by 10am. If you have access to the building, consider heading in for a few hours anyway. You’ll be amazed at how much you can get done without 25 little voices interrupting your every thought or colleagues dropping in to chat. Rearrange your bulletin boards, reconfigure the seats or purge the bookshelf.

Take the Day Off: Novel idea, right? There is a lot to be said for catching up on work and polishing your lessons. But if you are feeling stretched thin, there is no reason why you can’t use your day off as just that…a day off. Relax, indulge in a favorite hobby or spend some time with family and friends. Before you know it, the ice will melt and it will be back to school for you.


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Maryalene LaPonsie is an accomplished writer who has extensive experience reporting on education, career advancement and workforce development topics. She specializes in sales and marketing consultation as well as general copywriting services.