Who is The Great Gatsby?

"Ms. Thackeray, you give us too much work," "we have way too much to do," "are you seriously making us do this?"

"Yes, this is school--this is what we do at school."

How can you not love The Great Gatsby? The prose is stunning. The characters, oh the characters: Daisy's classic line: "I'm p-paralyzed with happiness." "Nick, you're a rose, an absolute rose, isn't he?"

As we have read The Great Gatsby, I have become increasingly more and more disillusioned with my life and everything I am doing. I think Nick is rubbing off on me. This experience definitely isn't what I expected. I don't really know what I expected. Teaching is, I guess it's teaching. I think I have become more cynical by the second. Maybe not, maybe I've always been a cynic to begin with.

Students continue to complain. And complain. And complain. And complain some more. They desperately hope that I will alter their assignment. But I won't. They are not doing all that much. I finished their project in one evening....they should be able to do it in 6 weeks...

My students found out I didn't have a TV. Victoria told me that she was going to to buy me a TV so I wouldn't have as much time to "sit around and think up more work for them." Now there is a rumor going around the school that Ms. Thackeray doesn't have a life and that's why she gives so much work. I love it. I guess it's true.

Having a TV=Having a Life

Maybe someday I will "have a life." I can only dream to reach such aspirations.