It’s two in the morning. You’re fighting to keep your eyelids open as your fingers furiously dance across your keyboard. You stretch your hands, lean back in your chair, and hit submit. Your final English assignment of the quarter is done, and you killed it. That was, without a doubt, an A-level essay. The next morning, you check your grade, and… 67 percent? How am I supposed to get an A?
After years of breezing through your English classes, it’s time for your first AP English course. The onslaught of rigorous coursework and complex instruction is often overwhelming. And what is rhetoric?
It’s hard to slow down and focus during new experiences, but as many transition into their final years of high school, it’s important to remember that success in a challenging class is not meant to be linear, and it is not going to be easy. A student’s best resources are their teachers. In her first year teaching at Crofton High, Mrs. Katherine Chapman has deftly navigated each of her classes, catering to the needs of her diverse student body to the best of her abilities as a 12th-year educator. Contrary to popular belief, teachers are not superhuman. It would be impossible to reorganize a notoriously demanding college-level class into a universally engaging, easy, and versatile 80 minutes of fun. Naturally, there are many students that struggle. So, how do you get an A in Mrs. Chapman’s class?
Start with the basics. AP Language and Composition students should be able to craft high-quality essays. According to Mrs. Chapman, there should be a clear line of reasoning – a solid direction. A reader should not feel lost in a piece of writing. Not unlike Mrs. Chapman’s 10-year-old daughter who has enhanced her own writing with parallel structure, include the elements that are analyzed in class. Demonstrate an understanding of sophistication; “…be able to use words poetically in a critical way. There’s beauty in that”.
Contrary to popular belief, English isn’t all about essay writing. Curiosity and open-mindedness are important traits for higher-level English students. It’s all about being curious and then actually following through and asking questions, whether that happens in class, during block, or through a quick email. Communication is key when you’re struggling. It is important for scholars to understand that criticism is not personal; it’s meant to encourage progress and growth. As a teacher of a significantly difficult class like AP Language and Composition, Mrs. Chapman agrees that “…you have to fail a little bit. And that’s hard for students to reconcile because it’s such a competitive environment.” Any student who has received their first B or C in the first marking period should understand that a low grade does not ultimately reflect their skill.
Like almost all teachers, Mrs. Chapman has observed procrastination as a major mistake that is prevalent at all levels and in all classes. Time management is not the only requisite to master, though. For all students in English classes, reading is essential to their success. Out of the most successful students she has had, Mrs. Chapman most fondly recalls the ones who were voracious readers. A love of reading can translate seamlessly into all forms of writing; an intrinsic motivation to improve will always make more of an impact than a lazy mindset.
If you are struggling and you are completely lost in class, what can you do? According to Mrs. Chapman, you should “Come see me! Come talk to me. I know I can be scary. I think I scare myself worse. But when I get one-on-one, that’s the best way that I can work with a student without interruption.” Needless to say, in a loud, packed classroom environment with 30 students, it is virtually impossible for a struggling student to feel heard. Your teacher understands that fact. If you genuinely feel behind, ask questions.
Having said that, your teacher is not there to hold your hand. Before a student can learn anything of substance, they have to experience some kind of struggle. This sentiment is shared by Mrs. Chapman. “If you have a question, come to me with something specific and we will address that certain thing. But don’t ask me if I like it. It’s not my paper”. It’s always acceptable to ask for help, but being able to apply advice to different situations is a valuable skill.
The class isn’t the only thing to worry about. There is only one test that is anxiously anticipated and extensively prepared for months prior to its administration. The dreaded AP exam. Essentially, an AP class is a 9-month-long study guide for the exam in May. For this reason, Mrs. Chapman encourages students to trust in themselves. “If you’ve been putting the work in all year, it is going to be okay. A score does not equate to your worth or intelligence as a human”. In other words, stressing about an exam score is not productive. It is important to go into exam day well-rested and with your head held high. Know that you aren’t the only one; even the sharpest minds have test-taking anxiety. It’s a naturally stressful activity. Even Mrs. Chapman, acknowledging her intellectual strengths, admits that test-taking is not a high point.
Ultimately, success is not proportional to natural talent. In Mrs. Chapman’s classroom, it has always been about students who enter the room equipped with a willingness to ask questions and think broadly. It is not necessarily a requirement to be a lover of English, but with an open mind and an active work ethic, loving the subject by the end of the course is inevitable.
Redevelop your definition of success; the person doing the work is the person doing the learning. There will always be room to grow. Embrace it and enjoy the process.
