Educators speak on teaching about 9/11 attacks without memory of the events

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- For so many 9/11 is a time for reflection or sadness thinking back on where you were when the towers fell. However, there is a generation who has no memories of this significant day and it is still their job to convey the impact of this event to the next generation.

Madelyn Cuddy is an 8th-grade history teacher at Dillard Drive Magnet Middle School. She told ABC11 she was born in 2000.

"I do not remember 9/11... I think that ties into the history side of me. Part of my job is keeping history alive," said Cuddy.

Her PowerPoint on Wednesday touched on the What, When, and Where. But she left the 'who' up to stories told by those who do remember.

"So I always push them to go and ask. Ask your adults where they were at, other teachers, and kind of push the angle of learning from other people's experiences," she explained

People like Principal Margaret Feldman who gave a special 9/11 memoriam message during the morning announcements. She decided in the 90's education was her true passion after a brief career on Capitol Hill.

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That Tuesday morning she was a middle school teacher in Washington a mile away from the Pentagon when it was hit.

"And so you could feel the impact and you could see the smoke. And then we knew something was really going on," Feldman recalled.

Like many stories you'll hear, chaos and fear ensued. When the sun set that day 2,977 lives were lost but a new sense of unity set in.

"It didn't matter who you were, but as I said on the announcements this morning. People from all over the world came together to support us," Feldman said.

But how do you convey that impact 23 years later - as someone who wasn't there to tell a story?

"I think it's important that they're excited about doing it...They see that passion, they see the importance of it and the relevance of it and how to do it in an authentic way to make sure that these kids remember that 911 is a day that they should know about," said Feldman

Cuddy said it's about connection.

"I'm part of the same group as them. I only have known an airport with TSA bags being checked. So many uniformed people there. So I don't even actually fully comprehend how lax airports were beforehand," she said. "They understand that it's sad and they, I think, empathize with that. And have never experienced anything on this scale in their lives but have experienced worry or loss or fear. And so they're able to relate on a smaller scale."

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