The Teaching ELA Podcast

Twain exposes the illusion of security. He experienced many calamities toward the end of his life, a leading cause of his writing turning from fun to bitter.

This reminds me of my early years in teaching. I made sure I had everything prepared and written out because I knew I’d be spending much of my energy and time managing the oversized class I was teaching.

I made it a priority to be extremely prepared. I don’t recall the name of the story I was teaching that day, but the story was in the textbook and since it was the first time I’d used the textbook that day, I gave the simple instruction to go grab a textbook off the bookshelf.

I have no idea why students were in such a hurry to go grab a book for an assignment maybe a third of them would actually do, but a stampede ensued. 

That’s one calamity I was not prepared for. 

Links

• Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
• Mark Twain Quotes Blog Post
• Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/

It’s safe to say these migrant workers have it tough, but is George and Lennie’s dream really impossible? I mean they actually almost have enough to buy the place. How much money does George waste on booze and prostitutes? 

It’s easy to look back after a failure and blame our circumstances. It’s easy to blame society. After all, when people become losers in the US, they claim the American Dream is dead. Did you know that right now there are people walking from Honduras to Texas for a small chance of what writers like Steinbeck says is dead.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your dreams are dead just because you’ve failed once or twice.

Links

• Of Mice and Men Themes Blog Post
• Of Mice and Men Unit 
• Short Stories for Teaching EmpathyLesson Plans

The first time I read chapter 5 of Of Mice and Men I was on a stationary bike at Gold’s Gym. When Lennie broke Curley’s Wife’s neck, I had to stop, walk outside, and collect myself. Today’s literary quote of the day comes from Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.

Links

• Of Mice and Men Themes Blog Post
• Of Mice and Men Unit 
• Short Stories for Teaching Empathy Lesson Plans

Nick doesn’t drink very often, but when he does it’s usually at an apartment in New York with his cousin’s husband and his cousin’s husband’s mistress. In what might be considered the least fun party in literary history, Nick finds himself looking for something to read. And what does he choose. Let’s find out from Nick himself.

Links

• The Great Gatsby  Unit Plan
• The Great Gatsby Blog Post
• Short Stories for Teaching Symbolism Lesson Plans

Meet Jay Gatsby, Nick's new neighbor. Gatsby stares at a green light in the distance. The green light he sees shines on the dock of Daisy Buchanan, whom Gatsby loves, even though they haven't seen each other for five years. Today, we call this stalking. The green light, in a broader sense, symbolizes the American Dream and the pursuit of wealth--something, despite his immense riches--Gatsby never achieves.

The novel has many symbols. The green light is one of them. If you feel like teaching symbolism in The Great Gatsby, list important symbols, such as the green light, the Eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg, The Valley of Ashes, East Egg and West Egg, and Gatsby’s gaudy yellow car.

Links

• The Great Gatsby  Unit Plan
• The Great Gatsby Blog Post
• Short Stories for Teaching Symbolism Lesson Plans

Nothing screams summer fun like a dystopian novel that involves characters getting metaphorically stomped on the face over and over and over and loving it in the end. That’s why we’re going with our third and final quote from 1984.

Life Lesson

I believe there are honest financial advisors in the world. Unfortunately, I believe 85% of them are, at worst, dishonest and at best, incompetent. So if you want me to pay you to invest my money, there’s an 85% chance that I’m going to get screwed. There’s a correlation here between this and government programs, I suppose.

Links

• 8 Short Stories and Novels that Exemplify the Dangers of Big Government Blog Post
• Science Fiction Lesson Plans
• Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
• Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com

In addition to being ironic, the party's slogan is an oxymoron, a statement which on the surface is contradictory, but in reality contains truth. The party slogan holds different meanings, depending on who's reading it, making it an intelligent example of verbal irony: for the inner party it means as long as Oceania is at war, the masses are able to direct their anger at an enemy and not at the party; the inner party enjoys its freedom insomuch as it enslaves the masses, be it outer party members, proletariats, or workers in the war zone; as long as the masses remain ignorant to the truth, the party remains strong.

Those not understanding the machinations of the inner party believe peace can only be achieved by conquering the world and eliminating the enemies of the party and of Oceania. They believe that to act freely would lessen Oceania's strength and lead it to possible doom. They believe that any deviation from the party weakens the nation, preferring to remain ignorant.

Links

• 8 Short Stories and Novels that Exemplify the Dangers of Big Government Blog Post
• Science Fiction Lesson Plans
• Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
• Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com

Big Brother is able to maintain absolute control over the citizens of Oceania by controlling all information. One critical aspect of information control is determining what history is taught and what information from the past remains. In the words of the Party

Quote: Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.

Links

• 8 Short Stories and Novels that Exemplify the Dangers of Big Government Blog Post
• Science Fiction Lesson Plans
• Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
• Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com

Although I live in the Caribbean and have spent most of my adult years in warm weather locations, I remember the cold of a Northern Ohio winter. Those of you from the North can relate to snot freezing to your nostrils and the need to give your hair time to dry before you exit the house in the morning.

But that’s nothing compared to our good friend who decides to walk alone in the Yukon when it’s 73 degrees below zero. Those of you familiar with “To Build a Fire” knows what happens to him.

Links

• “To Build a Fire” Podcast Episode
• “To Build a Fire” Blog Post
• Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com
• Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com