Dear Ap Lang Teacher (Week 10),

Last week stayed pretty well on target. The kids completed their collaborative FRQs… kind of. Most of the groups ran out of time, but at least they got words on the paper. Our scores were in the 3 to 5 range - which is expected - and the kids weren’t actually that scared about Friday’s first FRQ.

Now...what those look like - I have no idea. I was at a training Friday, so I haven’t seen any of the work yet. Regardless of how great (or not so great) those essays are - my plan is pretty much the same this week.
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Week 10

Tomorrow, we are going to present their rubric projects so that students can really understand the rubric and holistic grading. Then, I am going to task them with table reading and picking out what we need to work on as a class. I use skills lessons or reteaches after each FRQ to make sure we are slowly correcting the issues that come up in their writing.
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After that we’re on to synthesis with an AWESOME activity I stole from Erin Palazzo - a great voice in the #aplangchat I look forward to every Wednesday. THANKS, ERIN!

Being able to teach sincerely relies more on the people we surround ourselves with than our school initiatives or restrictions. A common illustration of this is the “Find Your Marigolds” advice we pass to new teachers: Surround yourself with a community that will help you grow, not weeds that will suck you dry.

For me, my PLN (Personal Learning Network) helps me teach sincerely by giving me tools and ideas to stay true to what is most important to me. For instance, I believe strongly in authentic experiences, even when we are prepping for an AP exam. The High School Drama Synthesis Prompt is such a fun way to point out the type of discourse students see on a daily basis. I am so grateful that an idea like this was graciously shared. It may not be mine, but it falls right into place with what I sincerely want for my kids.
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Lesson Plans