It's so much easier to just be there...

It's so much easier to just be at school and be able to "wing" things and get papers cut and things taken care of. My great-grandmother died on Friday, so I had to come back to Kansas for the funeral, which is tomorrow. In order to make sure I didn't completely stress myself out, I took today through Wednesday off, so that I had plenty of time to get here and back since the weather is a bit unpredictable. However, since I did decide to do that, I had to go in yesterday to make sure that I had all of my plans, handouts, projects, etc. ready to go for the next three days. I spent 2 1/2 hours writing lesson plans. I could have been there a lot longer making sure that everything was perfect, but I was burnt out. I was tired of staring at the computer screen, and it was snowing. I guess I also didn't really expect my students to be able to get through everything, so I left the paper cutting up to my co-lab teacher and the sub. If the students really need the paper, they know where to find it.

We are right at the beginning of our poety/Holocaust unit. I think I kind of had them end on a "down" note on Friday because I modeled what they are supposed to do with their butterfly poems. They are going to read and analyze a poem written by a Jewish child during the Holocaust. We are then going to put the poems on butterflies, and hang them around the room. They will then share their poem - if their writer lives, we'll keep the butterfly on the ceiling. If their writer dies, the butterfly will come down and we'll put it on the bulletin board. I think that this will be a powerful visual to help them really "see" what happened during the Holocaust. I hope this unit is as powerful for them as it is for me. I guess we'll see.

Today was gorgeous, once I got into Kansas City. I think it was like 60 degrees, and it was sunny without a cloud in the sky! It was a nice way to end the drive home; esp. since I'd left Des Moines with ice pellets and lots of fog. I just hope I have fairly nice weather on my way back on Wednesday.

Tomorrow's going to be a solemn day. I know my great-grandma is in a better place, and that she was ready to go at 100 years old, but it's still hard to say good-bye.