MemphisCaliCook

As a child, adults always try their best to shield the "real" world from children, hoping their innocence can be preserved as long as possible. As a teacher I do that everyday as well, by watching what subjects and topics that are talked about and by what kind of information the kids learn.
I was in a 3rd grade class recently and the kids were looking at a 2002 World Facts book. Well of course the September 11th attacks were in there and the kids only knew of it as "when the towers fell." I was shocked they knew this already and quickly made a move for the kids to clean up for recess without acknowledging their conversation. Now looking back I dont know if I should have ignored it, or if I should have acknowledged the event. If I had acknowledged it what would I have said?!
Fast forward to now, I am finding it more and more difficult to avoid the topic of terrorism with todays children, just in the past couple of days there have been several instances of close calls with terror. Just a couple days ago a man tried to blow up Times Square with a car bomb but with the good Lords protection and several T shirt vendors that alerted police, a tragedy was avoided. Then today as I speak, they are trying to determine if a man has a bomb on a bus, as he claims to in New Hampshire. This world is getting crazier and crazier lately and soon it may be impossible to not have the topic of terrorism come about in the classroom, particularly the older kids. What does a teacher say and to what should they hold back? I wish their was a class for teachers on that!
On another note these terror events are getting too close to home for me. The 9-11 events happened on flights to LA from Boston, the usual track I fly with my family to see my family in Boston. The Times Square close call happened less than a block from where my best friends and I stand to watch the ball drop almost every year. And then todays bomb scare is happening on a bus I regularly take from the same station Portsmouth NH, to the same place Boston Logan. What is going on in the world?!