Proud to Be An American

  




 On the eve of the tenth anniversary of 9-11, I sit and reflect of what I was doing on that tragic day----and as Lee Greenwood's song, I am Proud to Be an American  runs through my mind.
On 9-11 ten years ago, I was teaching a class of first graders. I can vividly remember the school's administrative assistant coming by my classroom to tell me to not turn on the television. I was like why--why would I turn on the television, I never do (She could even testify to that herself having been my teacher assistant the previous year.) . Little did I know all the chaos happening in the world, I was in the moment of teaching. Quite frankly, I am glad I did not see all the news coverage until later in the day and for many days to come. I can remember, however, thinking will my own little girl see her first birthday, does this mean war in America on America soil? Well, there has been a war--a war on terrorism and yes, my little girl did see her first birthday two months later. Tonight I think about those first graders, I am proud to say that I kept them safe and away from the media at that moment. I am proud to say that I am an American. I am proud to say that I will wave and raise the red, white, and blue all day anyday. I am proud to say for Christmas when I was four years old, my one Christmas gift that I wanted most was an American Flag. I proudly sing those words in the song sang by Lee Greenword and even Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A.
     Friday, I was speaking with my class and we were discussing the defintion of a patriot, a loyalists, and a citizen. We made (are making) windsocks to show our appreciation for our country. I believe on Monday we will have an even better discussion as we continue our study on the Roots of Democracy. I think I will even use the brainpop video on 9-11 (to help those that were not even born) for better understanding.