Among the things that have changed since September 11, 2001, is the way students are taught about the terrorist attack in schools.
For many years, students said "I remember...," but current high school seniors would have been born around 2003. To students now, it is truly a historical event, not something that they lived through.
Keeping the weight of that day alive is important to Cherokee Bluff High School social studies teacher Beth Murphy. Murphy plans a hands-on experience for her students each year by having students write the names of those who died in the terrorist attacks on the school sidewalks with chalk.
"It takes about three to four days to do it and then the rest of the school uses that as kind of a talking point, and they use it as a reflection and a memorial,” Murphy said.
She said since her students don't have personal memories attached to 9/11 as time has progressed, she felt like that was even more of a driving force behind the chalk project.
"I want to make them have empathy and I want them to see these people have stories, and they have names, and it’s important that we don't forget."
Murphy said one element to the Cherokee Bluff family is that every person’s story matters, which she felt her hands-on project tied into that value of the school.
Murphy transitioned her career into education, with her first year of teaching at West Hall High School in 2001. She said they were about a month into the school year when 9/11 happened.
Gainesville High School Social Studies Department Head Dave McConnell was also teaching when the terrorist attacks happened. He said the way he handles 9/11 in class has changed as the next generation comes in.
"For a while there, from '02 up through to '16 or so, whenever you could say, 'Hey, do you remember when you were in school, do you remember, what were you doing, what was school like that day, how did it change, what was the approach that your teacher had, your parents had regarding 9/11?'" said McConnell.
"Now, we have to go back and tell them, like, there was talk about canceling school there for a while, they didn't. I also coached football here and our football game got changed, everybody canceled that week even though it happened on Tuesday by Friday we had all canceled and moved the season back a week. Just different changes like that that occurred in our society, that's what you have to show them and tell them about."
McConnell said for the current generation, that means showing how the terrorist attacks impacted society.
"I've always told most of my students that really the cell phone revolution explodes after 9/11," said McConnell. "I tell them if this was 20 years ago, and you're in class, very few of you would have a cell phone. Now, almost all of you have a cell phone, because parents wanted to make sure they could get in touch with their sons and daughters after that, and people wanted to make sure they could get in touch with their loved ones."
McConnell said since 9/11 is on a Saturday this year and with COVID-19 restrictions, no large gathering or assembly is planned, but teachers in the department have their own plans to talk about the event to classes this week.
Murphy is also hoping to expand the annual chalk project to include American flags for each person lost in the terrorist attack. She has about 150 flags right now and is seeking donations. Anyone wishing to donate can contact the high school.
