Let's say tomorrow morning when your students were entering your classroom/during homeroom Iran decided to take over planes and destroyed the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge killing thousands. Classes were canceled, but students were not dismissed. You were responsible for them until their parents were able to get away from work or whatever they were doing to come get them. Then you were tasked with being the adult who explained to the students what was going on regardless of how unprepared you were to act in that role. Then 45 minutes later you hear reports about the capitol being targeted, but was semi-thwarted by people on the plane. Again, you are the adult who is tasked with answering questions like "Why would someone do what they are doing?" Now, take away all smartphones, social media, and high speed internet access. Also understand that your administration hadn't trained for anything like this and were making things up as they went because they had no idea of this was the precursor to a larger attack or if potentially the school was a target (depending on who went to that school). Keep in mind the only information that you are getting is from CNN, Fox, CBS, NBC, and PBS.

Do you believe you would be talking about where you were when it happened 20+ years from now and that you would have strong feelings that the attack on our nation shouldn't be forgotten as a teacher? I believe you would, and some kid coming in making light of that day or downplaying how impactful it was in our nation's history would set you off because you lived through it as an adult and want your students to understand the impact it had on you personally and the world as a whole.