View Cart
1 min read
Hitting the Ground Running: Top Tips for a Beginning AP® Macro Teacher
Teaching Advanced Placement® classes can be daunting. You’ll ask yourself questions like “what is the rigor?”; “How do I test them?”; “Should I stick...
1 min read
Over years of experience teaching an AP® course (in my case, AP® World History), I’ve been able to compile a list of “must do” tips and suggestions for teachers who have never taught an AP® course before. They offer insight into not only surviving your first year teaching AP®, but also how to guide you and your students to success.
Success in AP® is different for every teacher, every school, and every student, but I believe the following tips are the cornerstone to getting the most out of your AP® experience. These tips will allow you to not only make it through that pivotal first year, but provide a solid foundation for your continued success in the course. There is no magic formula to get students to pass the exam, but there are certainly some things that can speed up your learning curve.
Download the document below for my full list of tips for being successful teaching your first year of an AP® course! And for AP® World teachers, download my sample calendar to guide you in planning out your first year!
Dave Drzonek is in his 22nd year of teaching at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Illinois, and has been teaching AP® World History since 2006. He is currently a Senior Reviewer and Writer for the Advanced Placement® World History coursebook by AMSCO® for Perfection Learning® and has developed and delivered AP® World History content for the online video-based AP® test prep service GetAFive. He has been a reader for the Advanced Placement® World History Exam.Dave received his Master of Arts in Teaching, Curriculum, and Instruction from Governors State University. He believes that there is no greater way to spend a lifetime than teaching.
Related blog posts
1 min read
Homestretch Moves for the AP® Government Test
As the AP® U.S. Government and Politics exam approaches, students are in the final stretch, and how they use this time can make all the difference....
1 min read
Top 5 Takeaways From the 2023 AP® Language Exam
While the 2023 AP English Language and Composition exam represents year 4 of assessment using the analytic scoring guide and year 3 of the changes to...
1 min read
AP Language: Teaching the MCQ
With 45 questions in an hour, four answer choices per question, it’s understandable why the multiple-choice section can be intimidating.
1 min read
Top 3 Tips For AP Lang
Join Dr. Brandon Abdon and partners in AP Lang Timm Freitas (Garden Of English) and Beth Hall (Coach Hall Writes) to discuss their top tips for...
1 min read
AP® Euro: Tackling the DBQ
Many teachers consider the Document Based Question (DBQ) of the AP® European History Exam to be one of the more challenging aspects of the course....
1 min read
You've Got This! A Message for our AP® Human Geo Teachers
The AP® Human Geo test is fast approaching. But don't stress! Author David Palmer offers words of encouragement and advice for seeing your students...
1 min read
What AP® English Teachers Must Know about Their Students on Day One
The first days of any AP® English course are less about handing out a syllabus and more about laying a foundation: telling students what is expected...
1 min read
AP® English Students and Teachers Share Strategies Before Exams
These two AP English webinars offer practical strategies to help both teachers and students make the most of the final month before exams, so...
1 min read
Building Classroom Community in AP® Economics
I must have convinced you of the need to build a classroom community from my first post because…you’re here. Or maybe you already know that you need...
1 min read
Strategies for AP English Teachers: Second Semester Success
Most AP English teachers now find themselves well into this critical second half of the school year. With the AP exam quickly approaching in May (I...
1 min read
AP® Psych Summer Book Reviews: Round 1
The art of teaching can be enhanced by storytelling and great storytelling begins with great stories. Psychology has many of these as it is the study...