The biggest difference I saw in between the regular and AP classes was how much more open and honest the teacher was about their personal short comings. He would willingly say that he was a very traditional writer that like to read traditional essays, and admitted that he had to fight that bias all the time as a teacher. I think that his honesty about his own short comings made the students more open and honest when they shared. I went into this class expecting great scholarship and effort on the side of the students but was surprised by the fact that these were his laziest classes and the least likely to turn in any homework. He said that for most lower level students they know that they need to work to understand and get better while advanced students are often so cocky they think they can fake it. Again the classes were mainly centered around the mechanics of writing. He also used the provided test book again, and modified the activities. My favorite was the group essay, he had all the students build a class essay by writing one sentence at a time and voting on which was the best. It really got all the students involved, and allowed them to play with form and function in a supportive environment. Again the teacher stressed to me the importance of using what you have but making it fun.
Hmmm...sounds like what we read about the first few weeks of class. Who doesn't have fun when the learning is connected and challenging? I'm glad that you had the opportunity to witness the "fun" in learning.
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