Ben Trammell
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As a teacher, I feel handcuffed by my inability to address what feels like the imminent threat of fascism in the United States because we are prohibited by our administration from addressing political topics outside our purview. I feel like I’m failing the future. And words of support? (Echo)
12:34 PM - Sep 19, 2023
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Jennifer G.
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In response to Ben Trammell.
What subject are you teaching? I just retired from teaching French and Spanish and I actually used the fact that there’s a lot of cultural similarities among ourselves and Spanish and French speaking countries, and since I was supposed to teach culture along with language, I had no problem.
12:53 PM - Sep 19, 2023 (Edited)
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Ben Trammell
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In response to Jennifer G..
I’m an English teacher, but all of us are pretty strictly told to keep politics out of our mouths. Shame, when I could easily speak about dangerous rhetoric and its effects.
12:57 PM - Sep 19, 2023
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Jennifer G.
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In response to Ben Trammell.
Do you teach 1984 or the diary of Anne Frank or night or the outsiders? You don’t need politics you just need empathy and understanding.
12:59 PM - Sep 19, 2023
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Jennifer G.
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In response to Jennifer G..
Teach the crucible or death of a salesman by Arthur Miller. Those plays really woke me up in college. I was a theater major and they really hit me hard.
01:00 PM - Sep 19, 2023
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Ben Trammell
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In response to Jennifer G..
We do DOAS but mostly as a failure of the American Dream and materialism in modern culture.

They read 1984 as seniors, which is crucial, though we aren’t allowed to draw modern parallels.

We also teach Night and the Outsiders, but again, our emphasis is on language analysis.
01:15 PM - Sep 19, 2023 (Edited)
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Jennifer G.
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An analysis of language in these amazing pieces of literature — sigh. I mean, how do you not draw parallels??? Where are you teaching?
In response to Ben Trammell.
09:18 PM - Sep 19, 2023
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Ben Trammell
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In response to Jennifer G..
I’d rather not say, as we do establish links between language and ideology, and my department and colleagues are very sympathetic and supportive; I’m proud of our curriculum and mission. I just wish we could make more explicit connections to what’s literally happening.
09:20 PM - Sep 19, 2023
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Jennifer G.
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In response to Ben Trammell.
I completely understand.
09:17 AM - Sep 20, 2023
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