English teachers are entrusted with a deathless power to breathe curiosity into their students, to elicit new truths, new awakenings, new ideas.
Further, English teachers have a deathless power to help their students take flight with the intellectual, creative, analytic, and critical wings that begin to flutter and develop during adolescence and which are ever so present in the classroom.
With this deathless power, English teachers should challenge their students to think about how they know their world, themselves, and their connection to their world.
And then there are the many among us who are ever so blessed to be AP teachers.
We have been bestowed an even greater power because we are teaching the best and brightest students in our buildings.
We are saddled with the go-getters, the “nerds,” those that will give us their all to flourish right before our eyes.
I’ve taught AP Language and AP Literature for twenty years, and I treat it like it’s an honor and a blessing every day.
I love working at this level of rigor and engagement.
But let me tell you about a study I read in the JAAL recently.
Secondary ELA teachers were asked to rate themselves on a scale from 1-10 – 1 meaning very low; 10 meaning very high.
And there were two categorical questions:
1. How effective are you at teaching literature?
2. How effective are you at teaching writing?
Perhaps to no surprise, with regards to competently teaching literature, we feel secure and skilled (average score was 8.2%)
But in terms of our ability to teach composition, we scored a very low 3.8%.
This doesn’t surprise me because most of us were never taught how to teach writing in our teaching practicums – and once we get into the classroom, little to no professional development is offered with regards to improving our ability to teach writing.
I will always contend that our AP students deserve the best of everything. If a kid is going to bust their hump to learn from me, I will and I must bring my best to the classroom every single day.
We’re not just preparing these students to take an exam in May; we are preparing them to write the narratives of their lives.
Our instruction matters.
My templates and heuristics are groundbreaking in that they level the playing field for all students. Writing is knotty and confusing and wickedly organic. This is why students, even our best students, need some workable and accessible templates that enable them to flourish in our classrooms.
On September 11th at 11 a.m. EST, I am offering a two-hour intensive whereby we will explore how my three templates can be used uniformly for each FRQ – that is, for both Language and Literature.
That’s the kicker – these three templates can be used across all of the expository modes.
So, what that means is that once students have mastered how to maneuver tactically on paper, the six essays featured on these two exams ostensibly write themselves.
My templates work.
I have shared them for years with teachers and their students are always amazed to learn just how easy the game of composition is.
If you’d like to expand your writing toolbox, please join us on the 11th.
Feel free to reach out if you’d like more information or visit my webpage at http://teachinghow2write.com/advanced-placement-strategies-success/
Happy teaching and happy writing!
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