Teaching Through an American Tragedy

Editor's Note: As part of Hillsborough Patch's 9/11 coverage, several residents agreed to share personal narratives of their memories from ten years ago. Here, Dianne Lyons, an Auten Road School teacher, shares her memories from that day.

In 2001, I was teaching fifth grade at Auten Road, but at that time we were an elementary school. It was only a few days into the school year.

I can remember being in the middle of joking with the class about something when the librarian walked in. She handed me a typed message on a piece of paper, but before I would read it, I tried to get her in on the joke.

Little did I know what was written on the paper, news about terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers where our own commercial jetliners were used against us as weapons of mass destruction.

With my heart pounding in my ears, I silently read the paragraph on the page.The note was brief in its details, but there was enough information on that little piece of paper to let me know that this was an event that would change American lives forever. I broke out in a cold sweat as I handed the note back to the librarian, thanked her, and sent her to continue down the hallway, showing each teacher the message in turn.

So there I was, knowing what I now knew about what was happening out in "the real world," and I was expected to turn around and teach this class as if nothing was wrong. Smiling, I apologized for the interruption, and went on with my lesson. And the class remained in blissful ignorance.

After I dropped my students off at their related arts class, I immediately went to the faculty room. It was only then that I was forced  to accept the full horror of what was happening. Three of my fellow faculty members had husbands who were working in Manhattan that day, none of whom could be reached by phone. The son of one of those teachers was a student in my class, and his father drove into the city that morning to do an inspection at one of the World Trade Center towers.

One of the hardest things I think I've ever had to do was go back to my classroom and look into that sweet boy's face, knowing he had no clue that his father's life was in danger.

That was one of the longest days of my life as a teacher. At least our Hillsborough story had a happy ending, for all three spouses were eventually located and safe.

My husband was waiting for me when I came home, and I don't think I was ever so thankful to see him as that day. Forty weeks later, our first child was born, so my son is my own personal happy ending to this story. 

Ten years have passed since that fateful day, but the events of 9/11 are something that I have carried with me every day since then. Even though I was not there in NYC or directly involved, it had a profound impact on my life. I think it is important that we never forget what happened on that day, and that our children understand the impact of 9/11, as well, for it has changed the world that they will one day inherit.

I have even written a fictional middle grade novel about the attacks on 9/11 that I am working to get published because I wanted to try to help the next generation understand what it was like to live on that day and why it was a day that changed history.

Submitted by Dianne Lyons.