THE BASICS CHALLENGES I have been on the AP Literature and Composition Test Development Committee for five years working on the exam and Q1 is always my favorite question to write, teach, and score. Students, however, do not share my sentiments and often find Q1 to be the most challenging. Here are its particular difficulties:
THE BASICS CHALLENGES I spent six years on the AP Literature and Composition Test Development Committee writing the exam and Q2 was always the most challenging question to develop. Here are its particular difficulties: A FOUR-DAY PLAN TO PREPARE FOR THE Q2 ESSAY I use a four-day progression to review the prose fiction essay on … Continue Reading
I only teach seniors (a blessing then a curse after spring break), and by the time they get to senior English, most roll their eyes and sigh heavily when I tell them we’re starting poetry. Some of this is just normal senior attitude, but some is a classroom experience that has left students uninspired and … Continue Reading
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski (Brian) I am an early riser, an early arriver to school. I like to be in at 6:30am. When I enter my classroom, I start each morning with 20-30 minutes of silent reading. It is my morning meditation, and I am grateful for the way in which this … Continue Reading
I’m sure you are seeing what we are seeing. Faith in institutions is crumbling everywhere. According to Gallup research, 11 of the 16 institutions it tracks annually saw a decline in confidence in 2023. “Most of the institutions rated were within three points of their all-time-low confidence score, including four that were at or tied … Continue Reading
After being a frequent star on the naughty list for not taking attendance a few years ago, I had no choice but to build attendance into the daily lesson. Enter the attendance question. The first thing I do in class every day is go through the roll (for me that means having Infinite Campus attendance … Continue Reading
Believing that fellow teachers are our most underutilized resource, we love using this space to feature what teachers are doing in their classrooms. Elizabeth Chapman is an English teacher and Department Chair at Bellaire High School in Houston, TX and has generously shared her Dracula unit. Her unit can be used in a couple of … Continue Reading
Poetry March Madness is the most electrifying poetry unit I have ever created. How do I know? Each year that I have taught this unit, students have become visibly frustrated or disappointed when the poem they loved does not win. Some have left class at the end arguing with a friend over votes. Some have … Continue Reading
Teacher burnout can peak in the darkest, coldest days of winter. It rears its ugly head as we recover from the holidays and feel the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by the prolonged stress. The overwhelming workloads, lack of support, and the emotional toll of working with students day in and day can break … Continue Reading
1 – THE COMFORT CRISIS: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter (recommended by Brian) TWO SENTENCE SUMMARY FROM AMAZON: In this gripping investigation, award-winning journalist Michael Easter seeks out off-the-grid visionaries, disruptive genius researchers, and mind-body conditioning trailblazers who are unlocking the life-enhancing secrets of a counterintuitive solution: discomfort. … Continue Reading
