What time is it?
It is 253 o’clock!
“A man with one
watch knows what
time it is; a man with
two watches is never
quite sure.”
--Lee Segall
What is an AP
English
Student?
8 steps to better
reading, writing,
and living
This was you as a freshman…
(Miasma of Axe Body
Spray)
(Crippling Facebook
addiction)
(Encyclopedic
knowledge of
Twilight characters)
…and this is you as a sophomore…
(Lingering regret for
getting that Vampire
Weekend tattoo)
(Unhealthy fascination
with Gilly Hicks)
(Vague dread that
something awful
will happen in
Sophomore swim
class)
…and now here you are as a junior!
(Seething outrage at cost
of Neuqua parking)
(Remote suspicion that
teacher is aware your
entire stock of opinions
comes from Wikipedia
and Sparknotes)
(More rage over
the parking thing)
Yet for all your worldly sophistication and
acquired knowledge, you are yet ignorant
of certain academic knowledge
Me am
ignorant?
Specifically, you do not yet
know what it is to be an AP
English student.
The AP Mantra:
Answer the question with a holistic
interpretation of the complexity of
the work in light of author’s intent.
Your opening sentences should Your response and support must
consider the entire
include a direct and specific
answer to the question and all work/excerpt.
implied/sub
questions. What is the purpose of the piece?
Consider
the language,
What is it REALLY about? What
rhetorical strategies,
argumentation, literary and meaning and significance exists
beyond the text? What comment on
figurative devices, and
a universal truth is being made here?
metaphorical levels of the piece.
Tenet #1: An AP English student
explores everything as argument.
• An AP English
student
recognizes that
the world is a
text prepared to
communicate
and persuade.
Thus everything
is an argument.
Argument!
Tenet #2: The AP English student views the
world through a metaphorical mind.
When are
you
spitting
into the
wind?
When are you fighting Plinko?
Tenet #3: AP English students are
system solvers.
System Solvers!
Tenet #4: AP English students know a
lot about a lot and make connections
Know a lot about a lot!
• History: Local, National, Global
• Economics: Micro, macro, social
• Culture: World, classical, pop
• Art: Visual, aural, fashion, architecture
• Math: Applications, theorems, proofs
And so on…
Tenet #5: AP English students are
habitual thinkers.
I choose you,
NeoConservatism
!!!!
I choose you,
Liberal
Pragmatism
!!!!
Tenet #6: AP English students are
rereaders
Mr. Rossi’s relationship with “Ode to the West Wind”
Age 17: “Wow, great.
Another nature poem.
How %$%#@
profound!”
Age 21: “Another great
nature poem. How
“profound.””
Age 31: “This is a great
and profound poem.
Wow.”
Tenet #7: AP English students are
partners in learning
Oral contributions are an essential part of the overall
success of the course. Not only are you expected to
Excuse me,
come to class prepared throughteacher?
your written
Can I
expression, but you are expectedhave
to be
mentally
another
prepared to contribute verballyseat!
in whole
Susie class
has and
flatulence!
small group environments. Your verbal
participation
will be assessed at the end of each quarter.
Tenet #8: AP English students naturally
adhere to the AP mantra!
Repeat after me!!!
ANSWER THE QUESTION BY OFFERING A
HOLISTIC INTERPRETATION OF THE
COMPLEXITIES OF THE WORK IN LIGHT OF
THE AUHTOR’S INTENT.
Internalize these tenets and you may yet
survive AP III to enter your senior year…
(Obsessive craving of
Frito-Lay products)
(Reduced brain function
and Twitterfied attention
span)
(Enlarged apathy
gland)