Reminiscences of Stacey Fell-Eisenkraft, 2002

Biographical Note

Teacher, Middle School 131

Scope and Contents

Born in Forest Hills, Queens, raised in Staten Island, Portland, Oregon, New Jersey; education: Reed College, Lewis and Clark College, Teacher's College; career: French teacher in Louisiana, eighth grade teacher at MS 131; 9/11th: sound of explosion while teaching, description of towers burning, telling students about the attack, students watching towers burn, description of day with students, communication with husband; recollection of days immediately following 9/11: school closings, presence of Red Cross in school, initial responses to attacks from students, disagreements among faculty and administration regarding how to deal with the students, personal opinion regarding the faculty and administration response; reopening of school: instructions to teachers from administration, tactics with students, demographics of students at MS 131, students' questions and answers, description of general atmosphere of class for duration of school year, student concerns specific to Chinatown community; responses from other teachers: conferences, tactics used in class, anxiety, fear for students; teach-in at Teacher's College: invitation to students as keynote speakers, response from audience and other teachers to students, marginalization of Muslims at teach-in; after-school activities with students: work with video camera; work with Elders Share the Arts [ESTA]: benefits of program, connections made by students with seniors, use and effectiveness of music; end of school year: high school applications, picnic in Central Park; responses from families of students: moves from Chinatown, stresses at home, unemployment, issues specfic to immigrants; later conversations with former students: feelings of depression, homesickness, adequacy of guidance counselors; personal reflections: regrets and concerns, move from Manhattan to Brooklyn, doctoral work at Teacher's College, plans for dissertation; financial assistance to Chinatown community: how money was spent by school, aid to famillies

Subjects

• American Red Cross.
• Fell-Eisenkraft, Stacey.
• Interviews.
• Middle school teachers--New York (State)--New York--Interviews.
• Oral histories (literary works)
• September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001--Personal narratives.
• September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.
• Starecheski, Amy, interviewer.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ivr

Access Conditions

Copyright by The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, 2004