20 years

I’m back! After this past year and all of the changes that came with it, I decided to take the summer off from everything, just take time to decompress, and get in the right mindset for the 3rd school year of teaching during a pandemic…

Anyways, I’m feeling much more centered and refreshed, so it’s time to pick back up and dive back into sharing my love of literacy and blogging.

20 years.

This September it will have been 20 years since the 9/11 attacks. 20 years since the moment I stood in my high school and heard the news. 20 years since families have gotten to hug their loved ones. 20 years of healing….and continuing to do so.

I thought for a while about what kind of direction I wanted this post to head in; last year I already rounded up some amazing books you could use in your classroom and that list remains the same for me this year, too. Teaching the events and aftermath of 9/11 can be challenging because of the complex emotions it stirs up in both teacher and student and the sheer size of the topic. We’re not sure what kind of personal experiences our students are coming to us with. They could have had personal connections with someone involved in the tragedy or have been affected by the events; having those experiences can make the discussions difficult and uncomfortable.

However, as an educator, we have the privilege of “being on the front line” and making a difference in these kids’ lives, by engaging in conversations and sharing events that make our country, and world, the place it is today. I hope that wherever you are in the world, and whatever position you hold, you take time to honor all the lives lost that day.

If you’re unsure of how to do this, here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Have students explore this interactive timeline
• An interactive collection of articles, photos, and artifacts
• Reflection video of the 9/11 memorial
• Begin the day with some writing reflection with one of these prompts

To everyone and anyone affected by the tragic events that happened 20 years ago, I’m thinking of you and holding you close in my heart. ❤️