Four Bellarmine AP [Advanced Placement] teachers became AP graders last summer.
According to the AP Central College Board, “The AP Reading is an annual event where AP teachers and college faculty score millions of responses from AP Exams. As a reader, you gain an in-depth understanding of the AP Exam so you can better assess your own students’ work.”
AP World History teacher Ken Brown, AP Chemistry teacher Anita Emery, and AP World History teacher Megan Matthew took their educational craft to the next level. Teacher Jazz Etter also graded the AP Physics exams from her home. Etter was featured in another article two years ago.
See previous article about AP readers Jazz Etter and Matt Ellis here.
Brown, a veteran at AP grading, explained, “This was my 6th time scoring and it was another professionally satisfying experience for me. Even though it’s a long week of scoring hundreds of student essays, I always come away with new strategies to help my students do even better on the AP World exam. This week in Kansas City also included an opportunity for us History teachers to visit the World War I Museum as well as the Negro Leagues Baseball museum…two spots on my bucket list.”
Brown shared the value of this experience. “As with the other times, I came away from the week of scoring exhausted but filled with new ideas to help my students do the very best job they can on the next AP Exam. I plan on returning for scoring this coming May as well.”
Emery shared her own experience, too. “I graded onsite in Tampa, Florida, the week before final exams. I have always wanted to attend a reading to learn more about the reading/scoring process, as well as have the opportunity to meet with people whose names are always thrown out as experts, but you never actually get to see. I was able to meet a couple of those people and have conversations about teaching and content and students.”
Emery admitted, “The days were grueling – 8+ hours in front of a computer screen reading one question all day, every day. I read a long question (10 points) from the international version of the exam.”
The payoff was worth it, according to Emery. “I learned many things about writing answers that I am using in my classes this fall. At the end of the week, I was asked if I would return – I didn’t hesitate in saying ‘Yes!’ ”
AP World History teacher Megan Matthew was able to grade electronically from the comfort of her own home. “I did this right after school was done. The training was during finals week.”
What did the grading entail? Matthew answered, “I read one SAQ [Short Answer Question] from my family room and kitchen table. It made me feel more comfortable with how the grading process works – what garners points and what doesn’t.”
Matthew explained the exigence behind her decision to grade. “I did the reading to feel that I could glimpse behind the curtain of the AP exam and training of the readers.”
It wasn’t as glamorous as one may think. In fact, according to Matthew, “It was tedious to read the same question, but I feel better qualified to teach successful SAQ writing.”
The dedication that these AP instructors demonstrate through AP reading will assist them as teachers, and especially help those students that take their classes.
