I remember going to work. We heard about what happened. Was a shock. Unbelievable. Several teachers had been able to watch CNN and the breaking news. The footage seemed to continually run. The scenes of the planes flying and hitting the twin towers, the plumes of smoke, people on the streets below trying to shield themselves and running for cover. Some people just standing and looking up, as if in shock.
I remember a couple of fellow teachers coming to my classroom at different times. They were both looking for safety pins. I had several sets. They were surprised I had so much. I asked them what they were going to do with them. They said they needed to do something. Have the students do something creative and in commemoration of the tragedy which had occurred. Then they left.
The students who had come into my class were talking about it. Unfortunately, I hadn't seen any of the footage. My lesson plan for the day, pushed aside. I ended up having a class discussion about what they had heard, some of them had seen it on television. They had gone to the library, where our librarian had been watching the news. Some of the students had asked, "Why would these terrorists do this to the World Trade Center?" While others asked, "Will they try to do this to us, too?"
I explained to my students there were still people around the world who don't have liberty or freedom like we do. And more often than not, we, who are free, don't always appreciate what we have. And those who don't like this, will do what they will to change this for their benefit, their gain. They may not perceive what they do as being wrong, but just and right. Violence isn't the solution.
There was confusion, fear, anger, hopelessness, and frustration expressed by my students. They were frustrated because they felt strongly, what had been done was unfair. Innocent people and children had been killed, injured, lost. If someone, or group could do this to the United States, then what about us? A fearful, dreadful thought. I asked them what they wanted to do. How could we help? What would be possible solutions to this problem? They wanted to help.
We decided to start a penny drive. Whatever monies we collected, we'd send off to help those who were affected by this tragedy. My class wasn't the only one who came up with the idea. I found out other teachers and students on our campus had the same idea. So we ended up pooling our monies.
When I got home, I watched the news. I was shocked and horrified by the images, the recorded messages from some of the passengers on the airplane, cell phone conversations sound bites that were shared on air as part of the news footage.
The following day, in my teacher's box, I found safety pins with beads threaded through them in red, white, and blue. I was told to put on the pin in a sign of courage and solidarity in the face of adversity. As a way to express our sorrow. We held a moment of silence at our school. Students, staff, and teachers put on the pin for several weeks. For those who didn't have a pin, they wore layered ribbons of red, white, and blue on the upper left side of their shirts, blouses, or uniforms. Some wore both pins and ribbons.
The few ribbons given to me by my students, had deteriorated to the point where I don't have them anymore. Although it's been many years and all those lives were lost on that tragic day, they are not forgotten. Even though I don't know their names, have never met any one of them before or their families, I still remember. I still wear my pins. I still conduct the moment of silence.
Image via WikipediaIt finally happened. The Washington Post describes what happens when an adult takes a 10th grade standardized test. The December 5th article relays the experience with predictable results: 17% math & 62% reading. The best part of this story is that the gentleman is a member of the school board.
