Advanced Placement (AP) classes are test preparation classes designed to set students up for success on the AP tests. The tests were not taken at school, and the teachers were not the ones who proctored the tests. AP teachers went to school like normal, the only difference being that some of their classes had few students.
For some teachers, the day of the AP test was more of a break.
“It’s kind of a day of reflection, where you kind of reflect on what went well for this for the year and then things we want to work on next year,” AP World History teacher Joseph Henke stated.
For teachers who don’t teach six sections of the same AP class, it was less of a break.
“I’m still teaching while you guys are taking the test because I have other [classes] you know,” AP Language and Composition teacher Brett Kirkpatrick said.
Though most students took the AP test, teachers still had students in their AP classes who showed up for class like normal.
“[It’s] a normal school day for me just minus all the students who are taking the exam,” fellow AP Language and Composition teacher Katherine Wisch said.
Some teachers had students who took the test and still had class afterward.
“There’s no actual learning or structure of, you know, things trying to go on in the classroom that day,” AP US History Teacher Zach Rodeman said.
The many AP classes have traditions unique to their class, some for the teachers and some for the students.
“We used to go outside and play soccer and we still do actually. I think there’s only one or two years that we didn’t do that,” Kirkpatrick said.
Henke teaches an AP World History/English 10 Honors block class with MacKenzie Everett-Kennedy. The two of them have their own traditions.
“Our tradition has always to order takeout, kind of a celebrating day that we made it to the day of the test,” Henke said.
Class isn’t over for students after the AP test either. Students are still expected to go to class even after the test the class was designed to prepare them for is finished.
“We’ll work up until the end, and it’s sort of recent research oriented because it is a college prep class,” Rodeman said.
Rodeman and Kirkpatrick worked together teaching a combined class of AP US History and AP Language and Composition.
When referring to the final Kirkpatrick stated, “I actually liked the assignment that we’ve created.”
Another thing to remember is that even though the AP tests were perhaps the most important tests students take for their classes, they still have finals that happen during school.
“It’s like research minus the paper, and more just a debrief at the end,” Wisch said when asked about her final project.
Even in preparation for other AP classes, there was still some downtime. The AP Language and Composition test was after the AP US History test.
“I feel like the time is better served just to get some fresh air and decompress,” Kirkpatrick said.
The AP tests have always been separate from the classes. Some teachers took advantage of the times after the test to teach content that wasn’t covered on the AP tests.
Wisch asked herself, “Is there anything that we haven’t gotten to yet?”
The class culminated in a final; however, the class moved forward after the AP test.
“Beyond just making sure that people are ready for that exam. I think it is just to kind of go out on a high note,” Rodeman said.