Let It Snow! (Or Maybe Not)

The pandemic changed the way school works. Online school, masks, extra cleaning, and hybrid school have entered our daily vocabulary. But since everything can be done online now, what else can be changed. 

It is currently January and many students, teachers, and parents are all wondering. Will snow days even exist. We have already seen that when many people were sick and when the rain was heavy, we did our classes online. However, what about snow days? 

Dr. Jeanne Barker agreed to have an interview to discuss the future of Lenoir City Schools. When it comes to snow days, which usually aren’t a lot of in Tennessee, she has a plan. 

“If it’s really snowing, I would like for students and families to be able to get out and enjoy the snow. We don’t usually have a ton of snow days. We still have opportunities where we will do virtual, like flood days or flu days. But I think the students should be able to enjoy it,” Barker said.

However, Tennessee weather is unpredictable, as evidenced when we were out for two weeks in 2016 or the 1993 blizzard.

“In the case of a blizzard, we would continue learning. Time is the most important resource. If a situation arises where we were out for a long time, we would use our technology to continue learning,” Barker said.

The growing numbers in Tennessee means that even if we have no snow, we will have days of online school. Lenoir City High School already has planned to have a hybrid model until spring break. Teachers are having to adapt to changes quickly if they want their students to be able to learn because no one knows what tomorrow will look like. 

“I think it’s very important for teachers to be organized and have assignments clearly marked and accessible. Get things graded quickly and make it available for the students,” Barker said. 

Of course, teachers aren’t the only people who can help students. Parents and guardians also need to help students during this unprecedented time. 

“I think just checking in on them and making sure students have a quiet place to learn and are accomplishing the tasks that need to be accomplished. Helping students stay focused is key,” Barker said. 

This year has required everyone to step up to keep up with the changing climate of education. And for many of us, we have been able to rise up from our challenges.