How to be less of a sage on stage when teaching AP chemistry?
Ive been teaching Honors chemistry and AP chemistry for 6 years. Honors chemistry is a breeze, there is time for demoing problems, group work, independent work, activities, labs, it never gets boring because there is so much variability.
AP chemistry is another story. Because of the giant breadth of content coupled with students off all levels I inevitably spend 90% of the year being the sage guiding them through solving the various question types associated with each subunit. I generally print them a work packet that has all the problems for the entire unit printed and we work through them together each day with me at the white board guiding them.
It gets repetitive but I get students to pass each year so there is that. I’m the only one at my school and don’t know what others are doing in other class rooms. I know it’s always going to be a grind but it kills me when they come beck next year with so much enthusiasm because they loved my honors class only to find it’s a world apart from what they thought a second year with me would be like.
Has anyone else felt this way? Thanks for sharing your insights with me. :)