Book Description

This book condenses thorough research, and my own classroom practice, into a guide that provides practical and ready-to-use information, which is organized systematically and comprehensively, and is accompanied by a variety of student essay samples, as well as scored student essays - all to show, simply, how one teacher teaches his AP English Language and Composition class. Although this guide is especially tailored for students of the course who want extra help in becoming the best writers they can be, this concise, instructional manual, can be used by either the instructor of the class or by those who have the time and interest in instructing themselves. The sections of this text are designed for students, who want condensed information, that can help clarify their classwork or pacify their concerns about the material covered in the course. The information herein can be used by instructors, for all classroom purposes, such as handouts, worksheets, and curriculum advice and is especially ideal for instructors who want ideas on how to re-structure their class or want to freshen up their material and pedagogy for the upcoming year, or for those teaching this course for the first time, who may want some guidance. To both, the teacher and the student, this guide will save you time and effort. To the teacher: As it often happens to teachers, we find something interesting we'd like to try, and in the process, discover that in order to implement it successfully, we must tweak it, change it, and frankly, turn it into a completely different activity in order to meet the needs of our students. But as it (also) often happens, teachers wear too many hats, and the one of "curious researcher who wants to continue learning and bring that knowledge into the classroom" is the hat we get to wear the least, because of classroom and teaching demands. I get it. To the student: The strains of the classroom make it difficult, for teachers as well as students, to invest in private reading of auxiliary texts. Most students who take this course are taking equally challenging courses (sometimes 3 or more), and the pressure of these courses' classwork and homework combined make it difficult for them to be fully invested in each one. It's been my experience that, while my students want to learn more about my course (outside of my class), wading through 500 (albeit useful) pages of information, exams, graphs and pictures of happy students, uncharacteristically smiling while studying is just too much for the average student. I get it. To both, the teacher and the student, this guide will save you time and effort.