Every generation has events that stick in their minds as a collective shock.... a change to their perception of the world. The first for me was the Challenger disaster in the 80's. The second, and by far more profound was 9.11. I remember the details of the day very clearly. I was driving to work with the radio on B93.1 when Angie Good and Tammy Cruise started talking about what was happening. They announced the first 2 plane crashes.... then the 3rd into the pentagon. Later I almost had to pull over as the World Trade Center collapsed. Then their was the final plane in Pennsylvania. It was just too much to wrap your brain around. These kinds of things don't happen in the USA. The entire week I was in a state of shock. I taught my class from a distance... trying to come to terms with the information flooding in while also trying to calm the fears of 20 five year olds who had seen horrible scenes on the television that they couldn't comprehend.
In later years, my partner teachers and I tried to keep the memory of that day alive in Kindergarten by planting red, white and blue flowers with paper pieced flags in memory of the victims and heroes, but last year as I was trying to discuss "Patriot's Day" with my class, not a single one had any idea of what I was talking about. It was then that I realized they had been 1 year old at the time of the incident. So, I have decided to keep the memory in my private life and not to commemorate it at school. I am not sure if this is the right decision, but it is what feels right to me. I just don't think a short chat by the teacher can convey the importance, yet a more in depth discussion could prove to scary for them to process. That seems more appropriate at home.
Whatever you are doing today, I hope you took time to remember.......
No comments:
Post a Comment