nmah5323.xml

nmah5323.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-12-05

September 11, 2001 started out as a beautiful day in the Chicago area, early fall with the trees just beginning to turn gold and russet. My school is located about 2 miles from O'Hare airport, which had to pay for soundproofing our school. There are 4 flight paths that cross over my school on a normal day.

I teach middle school, social studies, 7th grade homeroom.
I had arrived at school at 6am, about 7am I went out for a nicotine fix, it was then that I noticed what would become known as the 'Clear Blue Skies'.

A half hour later, I was working on lesson plans when 3 8th grade students came in to check their reports with me. While we were discussing, my instant messenger beeped, my friend, another teacher, didn't have television in her class and was asking me to turn on CNN, she couldn't get enough information about what was happening in NY. There was an 'accident' at one of the trade towers. With the students there, I turned on the news. We were mesmerised. One of them asked me if it was 'on purpose.' I replied,
'While it's understandable to think that, it's more likely to be an accident-a pilot had a heart attack or someone didn't know how to deal with such a big city.'

As the reports kept coming in, we are talking a period of about 5 minutes, probably less, I thought it might be a good idea to let the principal know what was going on, but before I could leave the room-the kids began screaming about a second plane.

Watching it hit the second tower, I said, "Expletive deleted." The brightest amongst the kids was crying, she asked, "What does this mean?" I replied, "I'm not sure, but I'd bet Osama bin Laden."

The previous Spring, these kids, now 8th graders, had written to the new Secretary of State, Colin Powell, to decry the destruction of the Buddah icons in Afghanistan. They were much more concerned with reports that homosexuals and Jews were being forced into wearing identifying patches. Neither Powell, nor State had responded, much to the kids chagrin. This was one of the repercussions of teaching in a parochial school, where I was able to adjust the curriculum. It seemed I'd done my job too well.

With that I told them I needed to turn off the television and talk to the pricipal, 'no television until I returned'. The bell had just rung, and it was time to let the all the other kids into the building.

Our school is preschool-8th grade. After quickly conferring with the pricipal, it was decided that 7th-8th grade would be in my room, watching the television, cancelling gym, art, Spanish, as well as regular academics, until the situation became more clear. 4th-6th grade teachers would have to make their own decisions, but the younger grades would have to 'carry on,' as if it was a normal school day.

We found that we had at least 15 had parents en route or in NYC. 3 students fathers were pilots for American or United. Many parents of younger students were concerned that their children would 'hear something', they wanted them 'protected.' We were trying to deal with 3 year olds-14 year olds. Rather quickly the pricipal decided that all televisions would be off, except in my room; every room is cable ready and also alert ready. 7th and 8th grades only would be in my room for the day, regular classes would be cancelled for these 2 grades.

Before we could catch our breath, the attack on the Pentagon occured. As I said previously, we are located in the path of at least 4 flight paths, very quickly, the skies became quiet. As the day progressed, this silence would speak volumes. One 6th grader it happened, had his father stationed at the Pentagon. It was thus decided that 6th grade would join the 7th and 8th grades. His mother came and picked up his pre-school sibling, she couldn't reach either her husband or her high school aged daughter. A nurse, she decided that the son would be better off at school than at home. Considering we are nearly 1,000 miles away, it brings home how the attacks hit across the country.

By 11 o'clock, everything that could happen, had. We'd watched the towers come down. We'd heard from the kid's parents, thank god all were alright. The child whose parent was at the Pentagon, he still hasn't been released from duty, but at least we all know he is staying in Washington.

I don't teach World History or religion exactly as I did before, I will admit that. I guess that has more to do with your section on how life changed because of 9/11/01.

I teacher differently, no doubt about that. I am a middle school social studies teacher in a Catholic school, in a Chicago suburb. I teach World History to 6th grade, emphasis on anchient culture, including Mesopotamia, India, Israel. 7th and 8th grades are American History, including Constitution and theories underlying it.

I also teach 7th and 8th grade religion, which includes the foundations of Catholic faith and the rituals of coming of age. In 7th grade the students are exposed to the major religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Greeks, Romans, Shintoism, Atheism and Agnosticism (guess the last 2 at least are not really religions, but belief/nonbelief systems.)

Prior to 9/11 my emphasis was on the 'commonality of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.' Post 9/11 it may be descibed more as a compare and contrast.

It was very easy to make the connections with stories of floods, famines and good works. Post 9/11, I ask the class what is common, what is different? How can monotheistic religions differ on the outcome? Can you cite extremism in Christianity? Islam? Judaism? (most problem with the last).

I am not as quick to give moral equivalance across the boards. It would not be intellectually correct, the kids are reading and cutting out current events that show the differences. This most definately breaks my heart.

I'm 47 years old, since I was a child, my parents and the nuns that taught me, said that all peoples strive for 'a greater good.' They conceded that within any given religion or belief system there existed those that would kill to impose their 'vision' of perfection. Truth to tell, as a Catholic I had much more to fear from the Lutherans in my town, than any Muslims or Jews from what I'd been told. Post 9/11, well the danger is from another front.

The shock that someone could kill so many, without any stated reason. I guess, after reading that sentence, no reason could justify the taking of lives.

The shock that there are those that hate us, because we are Americans, because we are not Muslims, because we don't see what they do. I don't think we should, I think they are wrong to demand it of us, though I will not say they don't have the right to believe as they will.

They can hurt us, they can kill us, they can terrorize us, but they cannot take away our ability to see and accept other possibilities than our own. Where we see alternatives, they see infidels. That's their problem, not ours.

After 9/11 my family flew our flag, once we could buy one, I think in November. It still flies, and will for the foreseeable future.