Junior, Patryk Starosta working on an assignment for the AP Lang course. (Ella Fairbanks )
This year, Central High School proudly introduced its first AP Language course, which will help develop the critical thinking and writing skills of its students. As the class gets underway, Mrs. Tate, the class instructor, is trying to make the material both relevant and interesting. “Most of my AP Language students took AP History last year, so I will build off that,” said Mrs. Tate. “My goal is to make everything clear and interesting. We have already analyzed song lyrics and ads, and soon we will get into themes such as Disney villains and banned books. I want to combine American Literature and AP Language so the students can get into some great novels.”
AP Language is known to be a difficult AP course, but Mrs. Tate plans to prepare her students the best she can. “If it’s tough for me, I know it will be for my students too. But with less reading, it should be easier when paired with DC History. Plus, it aligns well with the ACT, so I plan to help them prepare for both the AP test and the ACT,” stated Mrs. Tate.
Mrs. Tate is also working with other teachers in order to help students better absorb the class’s content. “I’m working with Mr. Fairbanks because this AP content can line up with the history timeline. I’m also collaborating with Mrs. Rude because we can build a better foundation with sophomores,” Mrs. Tate explained.
Mrs. Tate’s attention is directed at engaging these students in preparation for the AP Language exam. She explains, “It’s all about practice and making it relevant. They need to work on their writing, tackle multiple-choice questions, and focus on revisions. Ultimately, it’s about critical thinking and current events, so I want to emphasize that over just test prep.”
As this new course continues, Mrs. Tate will be making changes and adjustments to better prepare her students for the AP test at the end of the year. This is an exciting change at Central because it gives students a new learning opportunity as well as class options that will help prepare them for college. Many students were quick to register for this new class and we cannot wait to see how it progresses throughout the year.
