After last year’s hour-to-hour coverage of the anniversary of
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, educators are wanting to do little
if anything this year in remembrance.
While most teachers have no lesson plans specifically dealing
with the events from two years ago, they anticipate the subject
coming up on such a somber day. While most teachers and students
won’t change their daily activities to commemorate the day, they
will remember the occasion.
After last year’s hour-to-hour coverage of the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, educators are wanting to do little if anything this year in remembrance.
While most teachers have no lesson plans specifically dealing with the events from two years ago, they anticipate the subject coming up on such a somber day. While most teachers and students won’t change their daily activities to commemorate the day, they will remember the occasion.
“We need to be prepared, but to keep revisiting – it doesn’t really do any good,” said Bob Hammond, principal of Ladd Lane School.
Also, most elementary school students aren’t old enough to fully remember or understand what happened Sept. 11.
“We still need to remember those people, but (the students) are so young, we don’t need to dwell on it,” said Amy Holland, a second-grade teacher at Gabilan Hills School.
Elementary school teachers don’t want to linger on the tragic events, but high school teachers may use the day for discussion. History and government teacher Tom Whitwam prefers a group discussion over a lesson plan.
“I think personal discussions are much more personally effective,” said Whitwam, head of the social sciences department at San Benito High School. “It’s important to see what’s on their mind. We have great discussions because everyone has an opinion on it.”
Ironically, all SBHS students will participate in harassment presentations during their first period class today. The 30-minute presentations will cover bullying and harassment.
“I just know that’s going to spill into the issues surrounding Sept. 11,” Whitwam said.
The harassment presentations were not purposefully scheduled for Sept. 11, he said.
Because of military action in Iraq, some history and government students discuss the Middle East, war or terrorism almost everyday, Whitwam said.
“I can take every unit (I teach) back to Sept. 11,” he said.
SBHS psychology teacher Chuck Schalhorn said he favors playing down the anniversary. He alluded to a recent article he read that stated any commemorations should be done subtly.
Because elementary-school children aren’t as mature and may not understand everything relating to Sept. 11, educators don’t want to focus on the events or the day. Whitwam said he feels high school students are mature enough.
While many people get emotional or choked up just thinking about Sept. 11 two years later, many of today’s students are removed from what happened.
“The day of Sept. 11 (2001), the kids were in shock, some were crying,” Whitwam said. “It was a lot to digest. Two year’s later, they are further removed from it.”
