Since we are now in the winter solstice there are chances of snow days. In the past if we had a snow day, schools were required to add that day to the end of the school year to make up for lost time. To prevent this Joplin schools have recently started AMI days. AMI stands for Alternative Methods of Instruction. Which means doing school work from home rather than adding days. Some students like this concept while others not so much.

I personally think AMI days are great. You get to do schoolwork from the comfort of your room. You don’t have to worry about cutting into your summer break since it counts as a school day. Plus who wants to stay in school longer when you can just do it from home? The schoolwork that is assigned is not too bad. Most of the time, I can get my work knocked out by 1 o’clock. That’s a lot better than going a whole school day. If you need help teachers are logged on. It is a perfect time to talk one-on-one with a teacher if needed. 

One downside for some students is a lack of internet. But teachers are usually very graceful of this and make sure students have time to complete the work. As long as you communicate the issue there can be some kind of compromise. Another concern is some parents find it hard to help their kids with schoolwork if they need it. But teachers are logged on and ready to answer any questions.

AMI is a more efficient way to get work done. The workload isn’t super heavy, students have lots of time to complete work, there are no added days, and there are chances to talk one-on-one with teachers. Plus who doesn’t love working from home?