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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Another teacher here just chiming in to say that you sound like a very good and thoughtful teacher. I imagine you work at a private school? Since you seem to have flexibility in what you teach.[/quote]

Nope, public. But a great school and a great department which means my colleagues and I get a lot of freedom to teach the kids in the way we think is best and we are constantly collaborating. Current research shows that students read more when given choice. My classes are built around readers and writers workshops - it’s just that this year I would like to move away from free choice independent reading during class to doing all our literature study around books of choice. If that gets them to read more, that’s the important part. They don’t need to be forced into Gatsby or Mockingbird.[/quote]

Thank god you teach at public.  I was worried that you might be my kid's teacher.  I'm sorry, but any English teacher who doesn't understand why kids should be "forced" to read classics like Gatsby, Mockingbird, and Grapes of Wrath--even if those books make them uncomfortable--is not a good teacher.  Life is uncomfortable, and all kids need to learn that.  I'm pretty sure a book like Mockingbird makes everyone who reads it uncomfortable.  That's why it's such a good book.  I honestly feel sad for your students that you're depriving them of that opportunity.  [/quote]

This does a great job of unpacking the historic context of the racism in Gatsby and showing what Fitzgerald was attempting to do:

https://teachingpals.wordpress.com/2018/11/19/the-master-race-xenophobia-and-racism-in-f-scott-fitzgeralds-the-great-gatsby/[/quote]

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