Al wrote to me wishing to join this blog community, wishing for a place to really connect with other AP teachers. And as I am always trying out new Web 2.0 gadgets, I thought maybe a ning would be the thing.
Please visit and join my new ning: AP English.
Once a member, you can post discussion topics there. I do love blogs, but I think the ning will serve people’s needs better.
We shall see.
Some highly motivated, high achieving ESL 11th grade students have asked me to prepare them for taking the AP English test. Am I asking for trouble by taking this project on? I have never taught an AP class, English or otherwise, but I know I have to start with a syllabus and thought I’d ask for some help. Can you? I appreciate ANY assistance. Thanks.
What advice do you have for Steve? Please leave your comments below.
Sarah posted this question on the About page:
I have been teaching AP, or trying to for two years. My first year the AP scores were ok. This past month I received the scores for year two and it wasn’t what I expected. How do I join so I can read and learn?
Hi Sarah,
You just ask, and hopefully the broader AP teaching community will comment and come to your aid. I’m going to begin with my advice and we’ll see what others think.
When I was in your same situation years ago, I wish someone would earnestly have told me to apply to be a test reader. I still think about it, though I’ve not got that many years ahead of me and the timing is so bad (I’d be out of school for over a week and a half during finals and yearbook distribution). But, if I were young like you, I’d do it in a second. Start applying this year and don’t give up until you make it.
From what I know from colleagues who have had the experience, nothing else gives you the insight into what students need to do well on their essays. This seems to be the most elusive knowledge of all.
As for your scores fluctuating–I’d say that’s normal. Some years, kids just “get it,” and other years they don’t. I also think the test shifts in difficulty. Certainly you’re looking for a high percentage of your class to pass, but it may be unreasonable to expect fives. There are so many uncontrollable variables. About ten years ago, one of the smartest students I ever taught got a two. Who can explain that?
We can only do the best we can with the tools we have for the students we have now. But still, I do think that being a AP reader is the way for you to become the best AP teacher you can be.
Cathy writes: I will be teaching 8th grade pre-ap English and would love any advice, websites, etc. Thank you for your time.
My long reply:
Hi Cathy,
It is intriguing to me, just the notion of an 8th grade pre-ap class. We used to have a 10, 11, and 12 ladder, but the 10th got taken away due to budget. So, you’ll have six years to prepare? Or will students take tests in 11th grade? And now that I say that, I think, wow, six years of classes to prepare for one test (or two)? That seems out of proportion to what is reasonable. On the other hand, if the test is simply a measure of a set of skills you (me, too) think are valuable for students to acquire, then six years is not enough, for these skills are not easily acquired.
Okay, enough philosophizing. The thing I lament most each year as my new crop of 12th graders fails again and again to grasp the main idea of a passage is the lack of life experience they possess that enables them to have a broad vision and a sensitive perspective of what they read. We’re a pretty provincial school, I guess. And kids, by their nature, are simply too consumed by their own little notions. So, how do we fix that? I think the only way is to try to give students experiences through books. Eighth grade might be a perfect year to start learning about the wider world (World Lit) through books. One book I read recently that would be appropriate for 8th grade and would get them talking is Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.
So. . . .since you asked, my advice is
Read challenging but engaging books that get kids to ask big questions and consider big ideas (those that are at the heart of who we are as human beings, no matter what culture etc.).
Students need to learn to annotate their texts. This cannot begin early enough. Can students buy some or all of their books? Using post-its in lieu of writing in margins is a poor substitute. The real growth comes from “owning” a book, and that happens when we write in them.
Use Socratic seminar for discussion. If you have an 8-12 team that can agree on this practice, by the time students are older, they’ll be quite comfortable with meaningful discussion.
Writing AP essays is tough, but the hardest part is to get students used to thinking deeply first about the ideas in the texts and then second about how the author’s style and technique help those ideas reveal themselves.
The AP process really doesn’t embrace the writing process, because students must be able to read, understand, and respond to a passage in about 40 minutes. What they write for the test is always a draft. If we always give them unlimited time, they won’t be able to write under pressure. This is one HUGE drawback to the AP approach in my mind. But, you can do both if you start early enough, and you are.
At some point (and it’s never too early), students must be familiar with the language of literary analysis, so perhaps your team could develop a glossary for the program. It would have every term that you would want students to master by test time. This glossary may have as many as 150-200 literary terms to master. You wouldn’t want a full-out barrage for eighth grade though. You’d scare them! : )
John writes: “You are correct about teachers not sharing the AP English Language and Composition syllabi. I have been looking for two weeks. Today I looked for six hours. What does this say about our profession? Can you help me?”
Hi John. Unfortunately, I can’t. My focus is literature, although I am leaning toward incorporating more of the language aspect into my course as more and more my students are taking both exams. My best advice is to go to the College Board site and get as much past test information as you can. It would be good to go to a workshop on teaching AP Language. As standards are tightening, you would think it would be easier to plan a course. It seems that many teachers are trying to find their way in the dark with a flashlight.
My theory is that the AP track (if that’s what you want to call it) is a big money maker, so the more that is kept “secret”, the more we have to pay for. And yet, more and more students are opting to take AP courses, so more and more teachers are finding themselves in exactly your spot.
For the past three years, I have had several students take both exams. This year, I polled them about the difference between the two. Their perception was that there was little difference. The structure is identical: objective section and three essays. I tried to get out of them some information about what specific terms were tested, but they were true to their promise not to reveal information about the test.
From what I can tell, the Language test has more questions about syntax, more analysis of sentence patterns, more questions about rhetorical devices (especially persuasive techniques). Our students still need to be able to argue their point, to support their argument, to write with command of the language, and to understand what they read.
As for what literature to read, this is probably as open as it is for the Lit test. While the College Board has lists (question three) each year, any work of literary merit is appropriate in an AP course. It is true that the typical Language course has more nonfiction, but it does not exclude fiction entirely.
Perhaps the best AP course would be one that covers both. While that’s a lot to do in one year, I think that’s where my future efforts lie. Good luck!
Lori writes: “Thank you for such a wonderful website. I am sure your students appreciate the info that you provide for them. Eventually, I would like to develop my own site so that my students will have access to my materials whenever they need help. Do you have any suggestions for creating a student accessible site?”
Hi Lori. I am not sure what you mean by student accessible. If you mean a site that’s easy for them to get to, then what you need is to create links on your school’s main site, your department’s site, and any other logical place. You should give the url on your syllabus also. I think you may mean something else, though. A site that is usable and is meaningful is also important.
I started out small, believe it or not. The first incarnation of my web site was really practical. I posted the syllabus and the course calendar. I wanted students to know what we were going to do and when. I also wanted them to know when assignments were due even if they were absent.
Next, I realized that more details about unit plans would be good. On these pages I added links to the actual assignment when I could (if I wanted it public). I also added links to sites that would enrich their experience as well as to those we’d be using for an assignment.
My current site is a great tool to keep me organized, but I know from feedback that students also appreciate having it as a resource. Because there is so much published on the site (literally, much of my file cabinet is now on the web), they feel empowered. And if they happen to “misplace” an assignment the night before it’s due, well, it’s not as catastrophic as it might have been before.
If you keep your students and their needs in mind when you create your site, you won’t go wrong.
Greg Ann writes: “I appreciate your web site. Thank you. This is my second year to teach AP Literature. What advice would you give to teach basics of the “timed write,” specifically for an open question? For example, we have just completed The Sound and the Fury. I will be giving a timed write on the AP question regarding the issue of “time” as it relates to the work as a whole.”
I’m not sure there is a way to teach timed writing other than by having students do it. The AP exam expects students to write three essays in two hours time, which essentially breaks down to 40 minutes per essay. This is a tough task. What makes it even tougher is that they must read and understand the passage and the prompt in that time period, too. My approach is to structure all of our essays to replicate an AP essay. I limit time.
In the beginning of the year, I do guide students prior to the essay day. For example, before students write an essay about Oedipus Rex, I have them complete a graphic organizer that helps them closely examine passages where Oedipus is oblivious to what we all see clearly. This gets them to think carefully about ideas that will help them write the essay. Later on, there is no front loading other than the fact that we’ve read the work on which the essay is based.
Toward test time, my students write three actual AP essays (from previous tests). I wish I had the time to have them attempt all three in two hours, but I don’t. I strictly limit them to 40 minutes, however. I think this experience is valuable. For all three of these essays, they are seeing the prompt and the passage for the first time on the day they write the essay.
By open question, I think you mean that students can draw on the entire work instead of one passage. In this case, it is critical that the students understand the work fully. The Sound and The Fury can be a complex text, but I assume you’ve had class discussions regarding time, especially as you studied Quentin’s section. I would advise students to narrow their focus as appropriately as they can. What I mean is, they don’t want a superficial analysis, but they also cannot cram everything about time into a 40 minute essay.
Most of the essays my students write are passage specific essays. However, there is value in drawing on entire works, for the last essay on the test asks them to recall a major work.
As to organizing and developing ideas for a timed essay, I remind my students to make a mini outline in the margin of the prompt page. Using brief phrases that encapsulate clear ideas, the mini outline will keep them focused. Not all students are able to juggle three or four supporting points in their head at one time.
And obviously, I remind them to focus on their given task. If the prompt calls for an analysis of diction and tone, they should not be bringing other elements in on their own. They have enough to do if they simply stay with the guidelines given them.
While the AP readers say they look for evidence that the writer is developing his or her understanding through the essay, I imagine they still expect a high level of fluency and organization. These things nearly always are easier to teach and learn when we allow for a revision stage. While in real life, all writers would reflect on what they’ve written and revise and tweak, there is no such luxury in May for our students. So I advise my students to make the most of each minute for each essay because there is no second chance.
All in all, the sense of timing comes through repeated practice. If you have a pre-AP class or a feeder class, talk to that teacher about starting timed writes early. This will help your students develop this internal sense.
Jim writes: “I am teaching AP English 4 next year for the first time, and I am spending much of this summer trying to figure out how to do this. The teachers who had been assigned senior AP are no longer at my school, so the other 2 AP newbies and I will be basically making it up as we go along. I have been teaching American Lit. and a Senior English: Lit. & Film class I developed for the past 2 years, so I have a solid idea of preparing the students for college, but little to no clue as to what to do for AP and the test at the end of the year.
Anyhow, I have come across your website on a few occasions, and was wondering if you had any advice and/or suggestions. We will be using a textbook (that has not arrived yet) as well as 4-6 novels/plays throughout the year. At the moment, my main goal is to determine those non-textbook readings. In general, I understand AP English is primarily a college prep class, but that pesky test is always looming at the end of the year, and I basically want to make the class as productive as possible. Thank you in advance. - Jim”
Jim, I want to suggest that AP really does mean “teach to the test.” There was some discussion in our high school last year about this very topic–college prep or get ready for the test. I think it’s both, but the test must take priority. AP students enroll in an AP class expecting the teacher to help them be ready to do well on that test. Students who do well in AP will be ready for college by default. We’ve also, in the past, had discussions about which texts to use. As I told Carrie (see below), any text of literary merit will suffice for AP. But it is nice to have read some of the common works that generally appear on their list for the open ended essay question. One last thing, the only way to get good at teaching AP English is to teach AP English. Please read some of my other letters here, which address concerns of new teachers. My advice hasn’t changed. Go to a conference. Join an AP list serv. Then, just do your best. AP is rigorous, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. What were some of your college lit classes like? Model some aspects of your new AP class after them. My class is mostly comprised of three things: read, discuss, and write. It is as simple and as difficult as that. Good luck.
Scott writes: “Your websites and information are very impressive. I have been teaching high school English for eleven years, but never AP…until now! I consider myself a competent teacher, but I am quite worried about the upcoming school year. I have been all over your websites and have gathered some valuable resources. If there is one thing that you could highlight over all others to help a new AP teacher, I would love to hear it.”
The Golden Key, the Holy Grail, the One True Thing? I wish there were such a thing. However, I do think that attending an AP workshop may be it. At least in the beginning, the workshop will help give you a sense of the AP philosophy. You will also get an idea about how others structure successful courses. In addition, you get a lot of great materials that you can use, like old tests to use for practice tests, sample essays and keys to how they were scored, sample rubrics, and more (at least I did when I attended these workshops).
To find out how to register for a workshop in your area, go to the College Board site. You will have to register as a new member, but that will give you more access to the site which has more to offer you. You can also ask your principal to be on the lookout for flyers for workshops. In the past, workshops in our area were in October. While it would be nice to find something in the summer, it is also nice to attend a workshop after you’ve been in your class for a bit and have a foundation to build on and a source of questions.
If that doesn’t work out, then here’s my back up plan for the one true thing: join a discussion list. Being part of an e-community is invaluable. Experienced and inexperienced teachers talk about the nuts and bolts of the AP English classroom and what makes it effective. If you have never been a member of a discussion list before, I offer some advice:
So that’s two things, not one. The point is that you don’t have to struggle through your first year alone with no help. It’s out there for you, so make it happen. Good Luck!
Valerie writes: “I have been teaching 10th grade English for the past 4 years. I will be teaching one section of AP English Lit and Comp for the first time this year. I have no idea where to begin!! Do you have any tips on getting organized and/or ways I can challenge my regular 10th graders by incorporating some of the ideas I use in my upper level class?”
Getting started is an overwhelming proposition it seems. I think because our students look to us to teach them what they need to know to do well on the AP test, we feel more pressure to do just that. It’s not just a passing score they hope for, they have (or their parents have) paid money to take this test. It matters that they do well.
I know it isn’t helpful to say that the only way to learn how to teach AP English is by teaching AP English. Having said that, I do have some advice for you. Find a syllabus that you like and model yours after it. Or find a couple of them and make yours a reflection of both. Look at the section on designing a syllabus and choosing books for more on this.
Secondly, get enrolled in an AP English Lit seminar or conference. You will learn a lot and you will get some great materials. I have been to several, but they were most helpful at the beginning when I didn’t know what I was doing. Not only will you hear from experienced AP teachers at a seminar, you will also have the chance to talk to other rookies. Simply talking about your concerns with someone who shares them can be a real help for your state of mind. Ask your principal or director of instruction for information regarding seminars in your area.
Next, get hold of an objective test (old ones are out floating around) and take it. Give yourself the same amount of time your students will have (60 minutes) and do your best. I bombed the first time I tried this. Then I attempted to analyze what I did wrong. This is the best part of the experience. There are some questions that are so easy and we over think them. Others really are very, very difficult. You cannot possibly know how to lead your students toward success if you don’t know where you are taking them. If another teacher in your building is teaching AP, ask for copies of old tests and answer keys.
Students should also take practice tests. April is a good time for those taking the real test, but our juniors also get a little taste of what’s to come. The APEX learning site is pretty good for test prep. We found it to be a little hard to navigate, but students found it mostly helpful. Use those old objective tests for this purpose.
Next, read some sample essays and how they were scored. The College Board used to provide these in their seminar packet. They also used to have them online. On the links page, click on the link for free response questions. Also, become familiar with a good grading rubric. AP essays are scored on a 9 point rubric. You can look at the rubrics I have posted if they will help. It is helpful to students to see model essays. I try to save good ones from each year from my own students.
Assemble a comprehensive list of literary terms (start with those that you find in that objective test you took). There are also good resources online. You don’t want to overdo it, but you do want good coverage. I have 50 fiction terms and 50 poetry terms (with some overlap). I tell my students that they must know these like they know their name because when they encounter a term on the test, they don’t want their cluelessness about something as simple as “paradox,” for example, to trip them up.
Then, you must find your way day by day. As for how to enrich the experiences of your 10th graders–I predict you will have a year full of revelation. Ways to connect will come to you as you go through the year. The AP approach is, or at least should be, all about critical thinking. And after all, isn’t this what we want for all our students?
Good luck and have fun!