This week I am at the AP Institute in Bellevue, WA. Last year I came to this same institute alone, because I’d heard it’s the best around. I agree. Last year it rocked, and my presenter was the Chief Reader for AP Language. The beginning of the week began a bit quieter until my friends [...]

Posted in AP Lang, conferences, curriculum, eng11, travel

We’ve begun going to talk to the current Sophomore Honors students about AP English & American Studies. Mostly the course curriculum they disregard until we get going because there’s just too much, and typically they can’t wrap their minds are AP vs American Studies vs AP Exams vs Dual Enrollment. I get a lot of [...]

Posted in AP Lang, American Studies, Summer Reading, google docs, google groups, nhs

This Friday we’re headed to Hamilton High School to observe their American Studies course before a meeting with their instructors. At last week’s meeting the admin laid down the expectations of how we, the AP Language and the AP US History teachers, will work together on everything. We will develop rubrics together and keep one [...]

Posted in APUSH, American Studies

This afternoon after we finished the final lesson for the quarter, I asked my last class of the quarter to evaluate the course. They were to include weaknesses and strengths of the course curriculum, and then weaknesses and strengths of me as an instructor. The first time I did this, I cried. I cried all [...]

Posted in AP Lang