THE TWIN TOWERS
Birge-Bytes
Each year for ten years I had a special lesson plan on 9/11 with my High School students.
I showed them my fancy menu and beautiful snow-globe I got at the "Windows of the World
Restaurant" on the 108th floor of the North Tower. I told them about my ears "popping' as
the huge elevator transported my Husband, Son David and me to the top. I tried my very
first "caviar"(red,green and black selection)....ugh. I could actually "feel" the building very
softly sway, almost imperceptively soft as it was built to do. Our table was near a window
and you could look straight down at the miniature cars moving below. I even made a joking
comment that we were so high up an airplane could actually fly BELOW us! This was one of
the most incredible days of my life...TWO Broadway shows, Limo ride to Central Park from
dinner at the Tower and horse and buggy ride through Central Park and by "Strawberry Fields" Hotel where Lennon was shot. There was NO way to know that a short time ahead
so much would change...this was July, 2000.
I was teaching Honors World History in room 126 Cooper City High School Sept. 11,2001.
A teacher friend opened the door and told me TO TURN ON THE CLASS T.V.!! She had
never interrupted class before. I imediately turned the news on and viewed the first plane
hitting. It was completely surreal...MUST be a disaster MOVIE and then the SECOND plane
hit and a sickening shroud of disbelief/belief hit me. Over the intercom came the message to
turn off ALL news!! I was in a WORLD HISTORY HONORS CLASS WHERE OVER 2/3
OF MY STUDENTS WERE "CONNECTED" IN SOME WAY PERSONALLY OR INDIRECTLY TO NEW YORK. It was the first time in all my years teaching that I refused
an order and used my judgement. I knew my students by then, the type of maturity in the
class and decided to let them SEE HISTORY HAPPENING so I could also help them with
questions and comfort. For some reason, as emotional as I am...I seem to be calm in emergencies. I do not regret it to this day for allowing them to see what hate is capable of
as well as great heroism...REAL HEROES and not Media Heroes. Later, I taught my classes
in Psychology Short and Long Term Memory retention and about Abnormal Psychology with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)lung disorders from the Debris field, and the
UNITY of a country like ours that has MORE DIVERSE ETHNIC GROUPS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH!. I taught them "tolerance" against prejudice by simply
stating "what if OTHER countries wanted to wipe US out because of OUR "skinheads"?
American Muslims have paid a heavy toll here in America from their "skinhead hate groups".
So, I studied their religion. Guess what?! I think of myself as a 24/7 Christian and found that
they were even more profoundly loving, charitable and ethically honorable than that!! I called a Muslim school near ours and apologized for the behavior they had and have
experienced since then. EDUCATION, PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Each year for ten years I had a special lesson plan on 9/11 with my High School students.
I showed them my fancy menu and beautiful snow-globe I got at the "Windows of the World
Restaurant" on the 108th floor of the North Tower. I told them about my ears "popping' as
the huge elevator transported my Husband, Son David and me to the top. I tried my very
first "caviar"(red,green and black selection)....ugh. I could actually "feel" the building very
softly sway, almost imperceptively soft as it was built to do. Our table was near a window
and you could look straight down at the miniature cars moving below. I even made a joking
comment that we were so high up an airplane could actually fly BELOW us! This was one of
the most incredible days of my life...TWO Broadway shows, Limo ride to Central Park from
dinner at the Tower and horse and buggy ride through Central Park and by "Strawberry Fields" Hotel where Lennon was shot. There was NO way to know that a short time ahead
so much would change...this was July, 2000.
I was teaching Honors World History in room 126 Cooper City High School Sept. 11,2001.
A teacher friend opened the door and told me TO TURN ON THE CLASS T.V.!! She had
never interrupted class before. I imediately turned the news on and viewed the first plane
hitting. It was completely surreal...MUST be a disaster MOVIE and then the SECOND plane
hit and a sickening shroud of disbelief/belief hit me. Over the intercom came the message to
turn off ALL news!! I was in a WORLD HISTORY HONORS CLASS WHERE OVER 2/3
OF MY STUDENTS WERE "CONNECTED" IN SOME WAY PERSONALLY OR INDIRECTLY TO NEW YORK. It was the first time in all my years teaching that I refused
an order and used my judgement. I knew my students by then, the type of maturity in the
class and decided to let them SEE HISTORY HAPPENING so I could also help them with
questions and comfort. For some reason, as emotional as I am...I seem to be calm in emergencies. I do not regret it to this day for allowing them to see what hate is capable of
as well as great heroism...REAL HEROES and not Media Heroes. Later, I taught my classes
in Psychology Short and Long Term Memory retention and about Abnormal Psychology with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)lung disorders from the Debris field, and the
UNITY of a country like ours that has MORE DIVERSE ETHNIC GROUPS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH!. I taught them "tolerance" against prejudice by simply
stating "what if OTHER countries wanted to wipe US out because of OUR "skinheads"?
American Muslims have paid a heavy toll here in America from their "skinhead hate groups".
So, I studied their religion. Guess what?! I think of myself as a 24/7 Christian and found that
they were even more profoundly loving, charitable and ethically honorable than that!! I called a Muslim school near ours and apologized for the behavior they had and have
experienced since then. EDUCATION, PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
