Remembering 9/11
10:12 AM
At 9:20 we escorted our 6th graders to the gym for their P.E class, it was now our planning period. As is our usual custom, my partner and I went to the office to check our mailboxes. Unfortunately, this was not to be an ordinary day, I turned when I heard a loud noise coming from the TV set that the secretaries were watching and was horrified at what I saw, it was the 2nd plane crashing into the World Trade Center. I felt as if I were in a nightmare, disbelief and terror filling my head. We both stood there speechless, unable to comprehend what our eyes were showing us. I called my husband and told him what had happened, he spent the day glued to the tv. Being a New Yorker for a good many years, he was affected deeply. To this day, he is unable to watch videos of that fateful day.
Back to reality, I knew that somehow I'd had to get through this day. The principal told us not to tell our students, he didn't want them to panic. He planned to break the news to them at an assembly later that afternoon. With my heart in my stomach, I picked up my class and had to continue teaching as if everything was fine.
The time just dragged on, I felt like a robot going through the motions, though the children had no idea that anything was wrong. During lunch the teachers were glued to the television set that was in our lounge. I couldn't eat a thing, my stomach just kept turning over.
Lunch finished, we picked up our charges and brought them to the auditorium where the principal broke the news. There was an eerie silence, you could hear a pin drop. He really didn't go into much detail, but answered any questions that the kids had. I remember that one of our students an Afghani went home early, he was picked up by his parents, they were afraid that there would be repercussions.
Back in homeroom, a few kids broke down and cried, others were worried about aunts, uncles, friends of the family who worked at the towers. I tried my best to alleviate their fears, and keep them calm. Needless to say we had a few group hugs. The day finally ended, buses were called and when the last person left, I put my head on my desk and wept.
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| Remembering the Vigiano Brothers |
My cousin's wife lost two of her relatives. They were first responders, one was a fireman, the other a policeman. Wonderful courageous people who gave their lives to help others. Though I never met them, they will always be in my heart as will all of those who lost their lives during this horrible tragedy.
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by Socrates Lantern
1 comments
What a poignant memory of that day. It is one of those days that I will remember always, and it was unbelievable. From that tragedy our country pulled together. I hope that teachers now are teaching our students about 9/11 since most students don't remember it. My granddaughter was three when it happened, so even as a college student, she only knows what we have shared with her.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this article to make teachers aware that they must pass on this historical day that changed the world.