With so much heated debate over the concept of teaching to the test, it almost seems counterintuitive to ask teachers to assess their students even more. However, assessments are the only way to discover if students are actually learning anything, and when done correctly, they can really help...
One of the greatest rewards of teaching history is when students can show that they can make effective arguments supported by historical evidence. From a practical point of view, argumentation is at the heart of the free response section of the AP® exam. This can be particularly difficult with...
When it comes to assessments in English classrooms, many teachers fall in the routine of short answer questions, multiple choice questions, and essays. Rinse then repeat. While this can often be tedious for a teacher, imagine how your students feel.
The world of AP Psychology is going through a curricular change. While this has been a works in progress for a number of years, not that the changes are here let’s discuss five upcoming changes to the course that will be reflected in the 2025 AP Psychology exam.
Several years ago, I began using a 4-point Student Engagement rubric for assignments that were either early in the knowledge acquisition period or for process-type assignments. My Student Engagement Rubric is below:
Here’s my one caveat, if you’re bothered by a lot and expect quiet student perfection, this might not be the classroom management plan for you. But if you want to share a mutually-owned space with students who crave independence, yet want help through tough tasks, this might help you start your...
One of the greatest rewards of teaching history is when students can show that they can make effective arguments supported by historical evidence. From a practical point of view, argumentation is at the heart of the free response section of the AP® exam. This can be particularly difficult with...
This will be my 12th year teaching high school ELA, and you could say I’ve learned a few things that I wished I knew going into year one. One thing is clear about 12 years: there are going to be fun and easy years and there are going to be hard and challenging years. And I honestly can’t say why...
Contextualization is an intriguing skill introduced in the redesigned AP History courses. It plays a crucial role in multiple aspects of the courses, including multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, and essays (such as the Document-Based Question and Long Essay Questions). Mastering...
In 2015, the College Board introduced several changes to the AP U.S. History course and exam. One significant addition was the inclusion of new historical thinking skills. Although these skills were always part of the course, they were never explicitly defined. Now, the College Board has provided a...
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