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        The article States, Not Dorms All Thanks to Mold discusses how the aftermath of Hurricane Irene caused excessive mold at St. Mary’s College of Maryland forcing the shutdown of two dormitories. The shutdown forced 240 students off campus into surrounding hotels. One hotel in particular was a 45 minute drive from campus. The college continued to search for a safer and closer alternative until an alumnus suggested moving the students into a 286-foot cruise ship, docked on the St. Mary’s River, just off campus.

            Though the ship is not extravagant it has improved the living conditions for the displaced students. The ship’s gift shop has been converted to an office for resident officials, the ballroom functions as a social lounge, and the pub has transformed into a coffee shop. The crew replaces linens and towels twice a week and provides laundry service. Students also share a bathroom with their roommates rather than an entire dormitory floor.   

            These arrangements will be short-lived as students will move out of the cruise ship when the semester ends in December. The dormitories will be fully cleansed and students will move back on campus at the beginning of the second semester in January.

            The classroom behaviors caused by this scenario are similar to those I mentioned in my last article involving snow day cancellations. However, this situation is unique in that not all students will be affected by positive emotions. The impacted students will be distracted from their studies while they worry about one of their most basic needs, shelter.

            In a college setting I would not expect student behavior to be immediately noticeable or overly disruptive. The students will most likely go into their shell isolating themselves from their peers and support groups. These students will continue to blend in with the other students though they may have an increase in absences. I believe this behavior will cause their academic progress to suffer extensively.

            The teachers on campus will need to be proactive, and find out if any of their students have been displaced by the dormitory closure. The teachers will then need to make an extra effort in building a relationship with those students to discover how the displacement is impacting them. Whether the student is excited by the opportunity or troubled by the forced relocation, the time they have to dedicate to their studies is diminished by a situation they can’t control.

            In order to keep management over the classroom each teacher needs to understand how unique this scenario is. While the impacted students are moving between residences, commuting to and from campus, and becoming familiar with their new homes they are enduring forced difficulties which cut into their college experience. Each teacher will need to modify their expectations in some way whether it’s a project extension, open book test, or elimination of material. These students are losing days, nights, and weekends from their lives and do not have the same allocated study time as their non-affected peers.

            In conclusion I find this situation is best handled by being proactive and understanding. Neither the school nor the students had any control over the shutdown of the two dorms. The school is doing the best they can to accommodate those students, but each time the students move they are impacted both positively and negatively. If the teachers work with the students to understand how they are impacted individually they can foster an environment in the classroom that allows for success.

The Reflection

            The article “The Joys, and Frustrations, of Snow Days in November” focuses on school districts across the northeast, and discusses the amount of weather related school cancelations they have dealt with this year. The article examines the impact extreme weather can have on a community, and looks at what the school districts are doing to help everyone cope.

            Last week a snow storm moved across the northeast causing havoc for everything and everyone in its path. The Millburn School District in New Jersey was forced to exhaust all three of its allotted snow days, while three of its seven schools were still without power, internet, or phone service. In a nearby district of Teaneck they planned to keep schools closed an additional day because of hazardous road conditions.

            In Connecticut, the Weston district has been forced to cancel school a combined nine times. They cancelled a full week due to the most recent snow storm, and they cancelled four days at the beginning of the year due to Tropical Storm Irene. In the event of more closures the district of Weston may be forced to remove days from their spring break.

            These sudden cancelations not only force the schools to juggle their calendars of classes, sporting events, and club meetings, but they also force the same stress on parents. Parents have to alter their work schedules and line up sitters for children who would otherwise be at school.

            In order to maintain adequate behavior in a classroom the teacher must provide structure and boundaries. While the boundaries set by the teacher will not be impacted, the structure of the class is at the mercy of the weather. Keeping the attention of each student is challenging when they know they are being dismissed early due to inclement weather. Can a teacher honestly be expected to present a lesson when their class time is cut in half? Or when the students know they are being dismissed half a day early? In order to attempt to do so I believe the teacher will need to relate to the students as much as possible. The instructor will not be able to suppress the students’ excitement, but the instructor will be able to redirect it. A teacher may have to modify their lesson on the fly, but if they allow the students an outlet for their excitement through the lesson, then they can maintain management over the classroom. Pair the students in groups, allow them to move through the classroom, and present a lesson that will be both fun and challenging.

            In order to maintain management over the class the teacher has to keep realistic expectations. Using the class cancelation examples from this article I do not believe it would be realistic to maintain the same lesson plan schedule. The teacher will need to allocate time to review previous topics and ensure that the students still have a grasp of the material. While this is a minor modification, and it may cut into a previously planned lesson, it is necessary in maintaining the confidence and expectations of the entire classroom. If the teacher were to present the students with a quiz or test over the material presented a week prior the teacher would immediately lose trust and control over the students. 

            In conclusion I believe the teacher will be most challenged prior to the storm. The students know they are going home early, they are hoping for multiple cancellations, and they are planning for their time off. The teacher will have little to no preparation to combat student behavior, and will have to rely on their knowledge and relationship with each student when thinking of immediate lesson modifications.

Joys of Winter Weather Cancellations

With the start of winter still weeks away, the Millburn School District in New Jersey used the last of its three allotted snow days on Wednesday, with three of its seven schools still without power, Internet or phone service since the weekend snowstorm.

With schools in Millburn, N.J., closed on Wednesday, a matinee of “Puss in Boots” at the Clearview Theater was crowded. Some districts may have to shrink spring break or summer vacation.

In nearby Teaneck, where schools in the 4,500-student district will remain closed at least through Thursday because of concerns about hazardous road conditions, officials are considering adding days in June.
And in Connecticut, where dozens of schools hit hard have been closed all week, the Weston district has already used nine snow days — including four after Tropical Storm Irene delayed the start of classes — and may have to take back days from spring break if snow forces more closings.
“Everyone misses the sense of normalcy and the daily routines,” said Colleen A. Palmer, the Weston superintendent.
Across the New York region, school districts are struggling to recover from a surprise storm that has played havoc with their calendars, forcing them to cancel classes, games, club meetings and fall celebrations, and to deplete their inventory of snow days long before winter sets in.
For students, it has meant sudden freedom, combined with foreboding that they may have to pay later.
For parents, it has been a maddening scramble to juggle work schedules or line up sitters.
“It’s definitely awesome because it’s three snow days in a row,” said Sarah Fogel, a 10th grader at Millburn High School, who gave up studying after the first snow day. “But it’s annoying because you don’t know how it’s going to affect vacations. We’re obviously going to need more snow days.”
The timing was particularly unfortunate for seniors planning to apply to colleges, coming in the midst of deadlines for early-decision applicants. At least 76 colleges have pushed back their deadlines because of the storm.
Public schools in New Jersey and Connecticut must provide 180 days of instruction, but each district decides how many snow days to build in, and when. In a survey in January by the New Jersey School Boards Association, about half of respondents reported that they budgeted three snow days a year, and a quarter each budgeted two, or four or more. A few had none at all.
Mike Yaple, a spokesman for the association, said the early run of snow days was unprecedented. “Of course we know the rest of the year is going to be just fine, balmy and 65 degrees,” he joked. “You expect the worst weather in December, January and February.”
In Millburn on Tuesday, James Crisfield, the superintendent, sent families an e-mail about the snow days that began: “What a way to welcome in November.” On Wednesday, dozens of students packed a downtown deli and candy store; nearby, youngsters lined up for tickets to the movie “Puss in Boots.”
“I’ve had extra days to play with friends and we had snowball fights,” said Max Cenit, 9, a fourth grader at South Mountain School. “It’s been really fun for us.” But his baby sitter added: “Not for all of us.”
In neighboring Summit, where many homes remained without power, schools will be closed again on Thursday. Will Yarbrough, 12, said he and his friends were bored and cold at home without power.
Stevie Rainero, a ninth grader at Summit High School, said he had been picking up fallen branches around his home.
“There’s not enough snow for me to consider this a real snow day,” he said. “We’re just hanging out, trying to wait it out.”
In Teaneck, where the storm knocked out power to all seven schools, Teaneck High School remained dark Wednesday. Last year, the district used only two snow days.
Barbara Pinsak, the superintendent, said that while some parents supported the school closings, others questioned why it was taking so long to reopen.
“You look out the window and see all the sunshine and wonder, why can’t the kids be in school?” she said. “It’s very tough to provide adequate answers to our parents who have to work during the day and who are also concerned about their children’s education.”
Ms. Palmer, the Weston superintendent, said that her 2,500-student district had anticipated a tough winter when it originally budgeted seven snow days this year, and that it had added two more days after Tropical Storm Irene.
“I don’t think people ever expected we would need more,” she said.
With classes out, Weston High School, which has power but is serving as a community center, has been screening free movies in the auditorium — including a Halloween showing of “Psycho” — and has kept the library open for students trying to work.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/education/storm-forces-many-schools-to-use-up-snow-days-early.html?ref=education

EDU 462

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