A Teacher's Memory of 9.11

It doesn't seem like 17 years have passed.. I was driving to school and heard of a plane crash in New
York. I parked and immediately went to the faculty lounge where teachers were gathering around an old TV. Our eyes were glued to CNN. The second plane hit the other tower. Newscasters were speaking of an attack that was multifaceted. Unconfirmed rumors of Pennsylvania and DC attacks started.

We were all silent. From time to time, my teaching colleagues looked at each other, but we had little to say. The principal was not on campus. As a matter of fact, I never saw any administrators.
Then the bell rang. We were all unsure of what to do for about a minute. And then someone said something like, Well, I guess we do the best we can. And then we headed to our classrooms.

My 25 freshman were gathered around the trailer I called home. The look on their faces told me how they were feeling: eyes wide open, some whispering that a war began, others just dumbfounded.

I let them in the classroom, and they automatically sat where they were supposed to. They looked at me.  They wanted answers. There wasn't any message coming over the school's speakers. The lesson on whatever I was supposed to teach was the last thing anyone wanted to hear--including me.

So I said something like: I guess you are wondering what happened? The answer is I know; there has been an attack in New York. I know a plane crashed into the Twin Towers. I think it was on purpose, and I think it was an act of terrorism. This was  a very bright group of 14 year old English students so the next question on their lips was why?



So I explained that people in other nations were not willing to accept Western culture. The kids why? kept coming. I remembered that a U.S. ship had been attacked by another boat with explosives that had blown a hole in our ship years ago when President Clinton was in office. I think I just let them talk to me, and I tried my best to calm them down and tell them a little history about tensions in the Middle East.

seemed confused. I staggered through an explanation of the people who viewed the USA as the enemy. It wasn't a very good answer. The questions about

It was the best I could do.
It went on like that all day, with more information trickling in with each class period. Some true, some exaggerated. Lunch found us teachers gathering again, talking among ourselves about how to handle the rest of the day.

We were numb.

I vowed in the years that followed that I would do my best on 9.11 to explain the truth behind a day that became my generation's Pearl Harbor. Along with my history partner Christiana Jenny, we explained that 9.11 was another day the 'will live in infamy." With the help of a West Wing episode entitled: "Isaac and Ishmael" and a concept album by Bruce Springsteen about 9.11 called "The Rising" I made our best attempt to make sure my students would 'Never Forget.'

Recently I discovered that some 500+ First Responders have died of complications from 9.11 There is a memorial for them on Staten Island. Most people don't know that. They put shoes out with flags to symbolize the number of people who died that day. I used to know that number by heart--now I would have to look it up. 9.11 makes me mad and sad. My close friend Jim Reifeiss (who for years spoke to my students) is still mad. My friend David Rosenberg did as well. He wonders if teachers like myself STILL speak to the issue. I don't know I HOPE TOMORROW THEY DO.

2,977...I looked it up.

That was the saddest, most frustrating day I ever faced in 32 years. And I will "never forget."


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