Written by Adrian Nester and Margaret Porter Once the prompts were released, Thomas and Olga were the main topic of discussion for students who got this version of the exam. The immediate observations were that students 1) didn’t use the footnotes 2) just did not know what to say about the passage. It seemed that … Continue Reading
This year’s poetry response, “Monologue for Saint Louis” by Colleen McElroy, was a highly accessible poem for students. I was excited to score this response since I am from St. Louis and am familiar with the area that her poem mentions. This poem reminded me of the poem “Black Walnut Tree” that appeared on the … Continue Reading
A recent survey, conducted by the EdWeek Research Center between December 2022 and February 2023, found that 87% of teachers saw lower motivation in students and 82% recognized lower student morale after the pandemic, but no one needed to tell us that. Brian and I had already noticed this in our classrooms. Assignments felt more … Continue Reading
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:
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
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
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
1 – Overload – The work of teaching will never end, so you must choose when and where to end it. There’s simply not time to do everything required of the job; make peace with the fact that some things can go undone. 2 – Assume the Best – Enter each conversation, class, and day … Continue Reading
