Tonight we got word from President Obama that Osama Bin Laden was killed by American forces. I never feel good about anyone dying, but I find the exception with this announcement. I actually feel relief and a sense of justice in this news. Since this happened 10 years ago there are many people out there who may have not been directly affected by this horrific event.
I taught in a suburb of NYC in September of 2001. Like many Long Island schools, the community included many NYC firefighters and NYC policemen and police women. In addition many of our parents worked in NYC and in the Twin Towers specifically. The twin Towers was a great part of the lives of many New Yorkers. I personally celebrated several special occasions at the Windows on the World Restaurant at the top of the Towers.
September 11, 2001 began as any other day in school. The energy was very high with teachers and students, since the school year had just begun. There was no social media, so news was delivered by broadcast media including television and radio. Twitter and Facebook did not exist. If they did they would probably have been blocked. There were no smartphones.
As teachers, we got the word from our main office during the first period. Someone in the main office had a radio on listening to the news. Many of us went to the library where we knew there was a feed for TV. That was where we observed the first Tower in flames. As bad as that was, the second Tower being hit confirmed that it was not an airline accident, but a terror attack. We ran a TV feed to the auditorium, so other teachers could be informed. The faculty soon became aware of what was going on. The decision was made to protect the students, numbering close to 1,000, from the event, since many of their parents were Police, Firefighters, or workers in offices in the Towers.
It was very difficult for middle school teachers to withhold such information from their students, but it was agreed to be the best decision. Teachers ran to the TV sets between classes to get the latest updates. There was a great deal of crying and hugging, out of the sight of students, between teachers united in the face of disaster. Our instinct was to tell our students and help them through the tragedy, but we knew that we needed to have more personal information before that could happen. As a teacher, that was the worst day of my career. I am tearing as I commit these words to this post. Before noon parents and relatives began to arrive to sign kids out of school. Shortly after, many kids were signed out and went home, teachers had to offer an explanation. We then had an early dismissal.
We were more fortunate than other districts. We lost a few parents in the Towers. Other districts were devastated. Every day for about a month, pictures appeared in the local papers of victims of the event. Literally hundreds of victims’ pictures were released each and every day. Personal accounts of first hand experiences stoked the flames of retribution. People were scared and filled with a need to strike out. This was fueled with every funeral. The funerals went on for weeks, and months after the event.The most elaborate were the heroes, the firefighters and police. Pictures of victims every day, day after day appeared in local papers. In Schools Pupil personnel, counselors, psychologists, and social workers all worked to deal with student issues resulting from the event.
There are very few people in the NYC or the NYC suburban area who escaped the effects of the event. Ground Zero is more than a place on a property in NYC. Ground Zero is in the hearts of New Yorkers. It has scored a place in my heart as an educator. The pain from that day will never leave me. As I recount that day, I am now overwhelmed with emotion. As I read peoples’ opinions about how we should not rejoice in the death of an individual, I can agree. That is however with one big exception, the death of Osama Bin Laden. I am very glad that bastard is dead.
My Island View 
I really enjoyed the perspective of your post. I teach far away from NYC in the panhandle of Texas. I teach in a brick and mortar high school, but also teach an online U.S. History course for Juniors. As soon as the news broke, I logged into my course and decided to post announcements with photos about this historic event. I then posted an assignment relating to 9.11.01 in the course discussion board asking where they were that day, what they remember and what they felt. I started the DB forum with my story from 9.11.01. I vividly remember that September morning at school, but unlike your situation of having to shelter the students from the news, we plugged in and turned on every tv we had in the school and remained glued to them both teachers and students. I look forward to the discussions that will take place in the next few days between me and my online students relating to 9.11 as well as Bin Laden’s well deserved death. Nothing like learning in the moment right? Have a blessed week.
I forgot to share my twitter name. It’s @chanselor.
Tom, Bin Laden has murdered thousands of people of all nationalities, religions, and genders, all across the world. It is difficult to look at his demise as anything other than an event to be celebrated. As Clarence Darrow wrote, “I have never killed anybody, but I have many times read obituary notices with great satisfaction.”
Salaam,
Hope this is the final part of a real story! Not a new section of political play.
I had a student who’s mother was a flight attendant on a Cleveland to New York route that day. It was hard.
The principal kept things relatively under wraps for most of the day, but once parent’s started calling the school, we had to allow them to go home.
She was a mess, it was a frightening time. But we were all together and bonded.
The worst part was the same year we had an attempted suicide on school grounds and a kid fell off a 65 ft. waterfall and was in a coma for 4 months. The toughest year I had as a teacher. Harder than being RIFed.
Talk about bringing a class together.
It was evening when 9/11 happened where I lived in China. The next day at school, students and staff were eager to know if my family and friends were okay. As soon as I said yes, they said good and then their allegiances changed to, “America deserved it.”
I don’t know how to feel today. I guess I feel an appreciation that one man who caused so much suffering in the world is gone. But that far from alleviates all the other suffering that goes on in the world and what can we do? This isn’t a time of celebrating. A man with family is dead. We need to continue to work on making this a better world for all. I’m too serious perhaps.
Very moving.
Thank you for sharing!