Where were you September 11, 2001?

My third grade students and I were going about our daily routine. Each morning around 9:00 we'd turn on the T.V., insert a videotape into the tape player, and exercise to "Skip Counting" for multiplication practice. I turned on the T.V. and one of the students said, "Look at that!" to which I replied that was a horrible looking movie and we didn't want to watch that kind of stuff. As soon as those words were out of my mouth, the announcer said this was live from New York City! WOW! As we watched, trying to figure just what kind of freak accident had happened, the second plane hit the second tower and talk turned to terrorist attacks. I opened the door to the other half of my trailer and told the fifth grade teacher next door to turn on her T.V. Another fifth grade teacher whose T.V. wasn't working joined us in our trailer. We all watched, cried, and prayed as the twin towers fell. It was a scary time, and later someone asked wasn't I afraid I'd lose my position for letting third graders watch that. I only knew that history was being made and my students needed to see it. I put out a message to them on FB to hear their reaction now (they are Juniors in high school this year). That will be interesting...don't you think?

I remember the No-Fly zone instituted over the entire United States of America. Was it two weeks? We live in a rural area and my students commented on how quiet it was outside (we were in and out every day for exploratory classes and lunch). I remember telling them that the No-Fly zone over our country was the reason it was so quiet outside. My husband yelled for me to come see an AWAK (sp?) one afternoon. He explained that the plane had a "bubble" on top so the military could use radar to keep our country safe, so I explained that to my students. . . to help them feel safe.    

I applaud President George Bush's response in the classroom when he was apprised of the attack on the Twin Towers. Do you remember?