When the tragedy of September 11 struck in 2001, I was a high school World Languages teacher. The day it happened, the bell to change classes had just rung and the teacher across the hall grabbed my hand and pulled me into her room. Through her classroom windows we could clearly see the disaster that had struck the Twin Towers.

At first, no one quite knew what had happened. Most assumed it was a horrible accident, then news reports told us differently. Surprisingly, our school was not dismissed for the day, though many students, via cell phones, had gotten in touch with their parents who called the school to say they were picking their children up immediately. Some parents simply came to the school, unannounced, to get their children.

The next day, no one quite knew how to proceed with classes as we sat in a brief faculty meeting before the students arrived. Do we go on “as usual?” Do we sit with the kids and discuss this mindless tragedy? The administration told us to do what each of us felt was appropriate. Some teachers simply taught a regularly scheduled full lesson; some pulled out lesson plan DVDs and showed them to keep the kids occupied; others,and I was one of them, decided that letting the kids talk was the best course of action.

What they had in their hearts, their fears, their limited knowledge of terrorism, has stayed with me. Their confusion in the face of what was, for some, their first time dealing with a catastrophe, was heart-breaking.

How do we as educators help our students deal with disasters of epic, mind-boggling proportions? Is there any set of rules to guide us?

It seems to me that letting students talk out their fear, frustration, and anger is one of the best courses of action we can take. Ignoring what has happened immediately after a disaster and going on with classroom policy as usual does a disservice to our students. It is like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. Kids need to talk.

In dealing with Hurricane Katrina and the hourly news coverage of the areas and the victims, we must allow students to “vent” directly after a disaster.

If you don’t know how to start, the following suggestions can be helpful.

Age appropriate discussions are a necessity. Certainly conversations from high school students would be on a more graphic level than that of third graders, yet both groups would benefit from talking.

You don’t have to be the school counselor to have these discussions in your class. In fact, let the students talk and just moderate. If a student needs to see the counselor, contact her or him.

Don’t spend the entire class time on the disaster, especially in the lower grades. A semblance of normalcy is needed to help students feel secure.

Be honest in your answers about the disaster, but don’t add any more information than is necessary. Don’t describe any horrific news you may have seen or stories that you have heard.

Be positive even if you don’t feel that way. Let students know that some help will be available to all victims in one form or another.

Arrange to have a fundraiser for the survivors. Knowing that they are helping people affected by the hurricane makes students feel that they have some control over a bad situation.

Tell students that it is one of the best ways they can express their feelings is to write about them. Do not, however, use this as a class assignment and don’t "grade" their papers if they want to show them to you.Forget proper grammar and spelling; this is from the heart.Be prepared-Some students will write very personal thoughts.

Above all, be available for the students and don’t dismiss their fears. As children, we’ve all been afraid of monsters under the bed. Having an understanding adult take our anxieties seriously and actually look under the bed for us was a comfort.Be a comfort to your students.

Sacred Jude in my Life, Miracles Abound!!
Please donate to the gentle creatures who are suffering because of Hurricane Katrina but have no voice of their own to ask for help-they need you!
These organizations are legitimate:

• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• American Veterinary Medical Foundation
• Humane Society of the United States
• Katrina Found Pets
• American Humane Association
• LSU School of Veterinary Medicine
• Noah’s Wish
• Petfinder.com: Animal Welfare Disaster Resources
• American Kennel Club
• Katrina Pets Need Help