Journal of a Joplin Teacher
With School starting in the area, I thought this was just really cool. Maybe not something y’all would be interested in, however some of this stuff I want to remember.
This is from the journal of a teacher in Joplin, Missouri, as the
school year is beginning. It puts many things into perspective.
This may end up being my last tornado journal update. You want to know why?
Because for the first time in 87 days, I have been able to breathe today. I have been able to feel almost normal today. My kids were able to sleep and have something to wake up for today. We didn’t have to spend our summer days wishing the pools hadn’t been destroyed. We didn’t have to wish we could go to our favorite parks, only to remember that they are no longer there.
We didn’t have to do anything that revolved around the tornado. We got to get up and go to school!
With the help of donations from around the world, these kids came back in style! Every child received a backpack with Joplin Eagles and our eagle logo on the front that was filled with school supplies appropriate for the grade. Every high school student–whether they were going back to school at the mall campus or the old middle school–received a laptop in the backpack. They will do all of their learning via the computers since the textbooks were destroyed.