math teacher rhonda crosswhite was helping her students with an end of school game when the principal came over the speaker and told them to go to the hallway. damien klein is a fourth grader. >> she told us to get a math book or bag. i already had my bag and then we went in the hall. >> why did she tell you to get a math book or bag? >> we could put it over our head. >> a teacher saw the funnel cloud approaching and ordered them to get into the hallway or closets. >> you've got to get them in there. i'm like, okay. you are getting in there, too. >> she was in a bathroom stall crouched over four children and she did what teachers do. >> i remember the little boy saying, i love you, miss crosswhite, please don't let me die with you. i am like, we're not dying. we are not dying today. quit saying that. and i did the teacher thing that we're probably not supposed to do. i prayed. and i prayed out loud. >> what did you say? >> i said, god, please don't take these kids today. >> the ceiling crashed down on them but the walls still stood. when it was quetta, gain, she sent a small boy to cl

math teacher rhonda crosswhite was helping her sixth graders with an end of school game when the principal came over the loudspeaker and told them to go to the hallway. damian kline is a fourth grader. >> she told us all to just get your math book or your bag. i already had my bag. then we went in the hall. >> reporter: why did she tell you to get a math book or a bag? >> so we could put it over our head. >> reporter: a fifth grade teacher saw the funnel cloud approaching and yelled for everyone to leave the hallway and get into closets or bathrooms. >> he said you've got to get them in there. i said, okay, i'll get them in. i'll stay out here. he said, you're getting in there, too. >> reporter: she was in a bathroom stall crouched over four children, and she did what teachers do. >> i remember the little boy saying i love you, miss crosswhite. please don't let me die with you. we are not dying today. we are not dying today. quit saying that. and i did the teacher thing that we're probably not supposed to do, i prayed, and i prayed out loud. >> what did you say? >> i said, god please don't

. >> that was rhonda crosswhite, a teacher at plaza tower elementary school.today" show with one of the students she helped save. right now i'm joined by jim cantore, live in moore, oklahoma. and i understand you can help us out a little bit on these conflicting reports on the death toll. >> reporter: yeah, the death toll, when we started this morning was at 91. and it kept going up yesterday, all night, and this morning again, popped up to 91 people. now, what's happened is there's been some information that's been either doubled or not given. but i actually talked to lieutenant governor todd lam. he had spent some time in the media. most of the information he had given us, we already know and had been discussing. but as he was walking out, i had just heard that rumor and i walked over and asked him, sir, is there confusion on the death toll, he goes, yes, there is. he's not very happy about it. he says, all we can say now is 24 deaths is all we can confirm at this time. that does not mean there are not 50, that does mean mean there are not 100. but all we ca

emerging from the ruins that we've been seeing from street corner to street corner, like teacher rhonda crosswhite her body -- her body to shield three kids from the screaming winds and flying debris there, all the while telling them they would be okay, they would make it through. animal rescue workers, like dozens of pets and their owners after pulling them from the rubble. we saw many pets reunited with their owners. then matt spaulding, who sought shelter in the new imax theater, just down the road here. then when he emerged with his father and brother, they then saved 18 people trapped in the nearby medical center. that's the building that's right here on my right. when asked about how matt feels about being a hero, here's what he said to nbc's brian williams. >> do you feel lucky you get to walk around knowing there are 18 human beings alive today, you have a hand in that? >> it does feel good. you know, there was a guy about 70 years old that we picked up out of there, and just hugging him, because, man, are you okay? where are you hurting? and he said, all over. and, you know, thinking abou

and maybe the most remarkable story comes from plaza towers elementary where teacher rhonda crosswhite put herself directly between the kids and the storm. >> i was in a stall with some kids. and it just started coming down. so i laid on top of them. one of my little boys kept saying, "i love you. i love you. please don't die with me. please don't die with me." i never thought i was going to die. the whole time i just kept screaming to them, quit worrying. we're fine. we're fine. we're fine. >> joining me now is theresa mosier. a fourth-grade teacher at briarwood elementary school who survived a direct hit on her school along with students she was instructing. theresa, i'm so glad that you are safe, and thank you very much for joining us. can you walk us through what that day was like, at what point you knew a tornado was headed your way and what the teachers in the school did and what you did. >> yeah. it was a pretty normal day until the afternoon. we knew that we were going to have thunderstorms, but it wasn't until the afternoon that we started realizing that they were getting seve

like rhonda crosswhite, a six-grade teacher at plaza towers elementary, she put her students in a bathroomstudents to protect them. one student kept saying, i love you, i love you, please don't die with me. and susan haylee, a teacher's aide who ushered first graders under the desks away from the windows. able to maintain focus on keeping the children calm and safe. also at briarwood was first grade teacher who used games and music to keep her children calm. she gave them instruments teean told them to sing as loud as they could. and then there was the amazing story of anna kennedy and jessica simmons, to kindergarten teachers. anna and jessica had their kids get on their knees and cover their heads and then the two teachers covered the students with their bodies. when the first responders came in, they lifted a a car and under need found the two teachers and beneath anna and jessica. >> their students. everyone was still alive. practically unharmed. just a few scratches here and there. those are just a few of the names many young lives were saved in moore, oklahoma, as brave teachers used

. >> megyn: and on that subject, there is a teacher named rhonda crosswhite.ke with the today show on tuesday, today, she spoke of the terror on the little ones as they huddled together in the bathroom stalls and the hallways as the building was crumbling around them. and a little boy named damion klein said that ms. crossway saved his life and the lives of others and she used her body to shield them from the storm and the debris as it came down around them. i mean, i can't help when i hear that story but to think of newtown, connecticut. and the teachers there who found the children in grave danger and without much of a thought for themselves, put their own lives on the line and some were killed. your thoughts on the actions of the teachers as we are hearing them retold by the students today? >> i must say i'm absolutely not surprised by that behavior. that is the nature of teachers. these are individuals that work for very little money. face all types of obstacles all year long. children, many of them coming from poverty, some that come from broken homes. th

math teacher rhonda crosswhite was helping her sixth graders with an end of school game when the principalto go to the hallway. damien klein is a fourth grader. >> she told us to get our math book and bag. i will had my bag and we went in the hall. >> reporter: why did she tell you to get a math book or a bag? >> so we could put it over our head. >> reporter: a fifth grade teacher saw the funnel cloud approaches and yelled for everyone to get into bathrooms and closet. >> said you got to get them in there. i said i'll stay outside. she said you're getting in there too. >> reporter: she was crouched over four children and did what teachers do. >> i remember the little boy saying, "i love you, miss crosswhite! please don't let me die with you." i said we are not dying! we are not dying today! quit saying that. i did the teacher thing we are probably not supposed to do and i prayed. and i prayed outloud. >> reporter: what did you say? >> i said, "please don't take these kids today." >> reporter: when it was quiet again she sent a kid up the bathroom wall to look out. >> he got up there and he

rhonda crosswit. that's a teacher of plaza towers, an elementary school that chris jansing mentioned. crosswhite protected her stude students as we heard from chris by lying on top of them and comforting with them throughout the deal. crosswhite reunited with one of those students during her interview with savannah. here it is. >> i was in a stall with some kids. it started coming down. i laid on top of them. one of my little boys said, i love you, i love you, please don't die with me. please don't die with me. i never thought i was going to die. the whole time i just kept screaming to them, quit worrying, we're fine, we're fine, we're fine, we're fine. >> reporter: i do have a student here who wants to say thank you to you. this is damian klein. and his mom, brandy. >> i told you we were going to be okay. >> alfredo corales, maria and vivian luna survived yesterday in their storm shelter. thank you. tell us your decision to build a storm shelter. what works or doesn't in these ef-5 tornadoes? >> the only thing i can say about the storm cellars, that's the only way to go especially when you have