The Journey has come to an end!!!!

Fourth quarter was full of excitement and anxiety for the AP English test; I could not have waited to get it out of the way. The main focus this quarter was all about reviewing, passing the test and finishing the class. I was extremely nervous about taking the test but it went well. Revisions for the test helped me tremendously especially when we created the charts discussing the do’s and don’ts, it was helpful.

However my journey as a reader, writer, and thinker in AP Language this year increased profoundly from the beginning of the quarter thanks to writing essays prompt, analyzing fundamental documents such as Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and A Modest Proposal for a Truce on Religion which required identification of rhetorical strategies of logos, Pathos, and Ethos. These strategies were used as tools throughout reading essays and novels in order to develop a good analysis as well as for basic understanding. I will try my best to apply these skills next year in my next English class as well as in college.

On the other hand, practicing in class essays always gave me a headache at the end of the period, especially when the prompts are hard for me to understand. For example the incentives for charity essay and Thomas Paine’s FRQ proved to be challenging. However, Ms. Fogarty’s explanations in class helped me with restating prompts within the introductions of essays while answering the prompts question concisely.

The best part of the year was definitely when we had the pizza party and when we watched the documentary video. I mean as long as we are not doing a lot of work in class. Our seminars were also interesting especially when we touched on hot topics creating diverse opinions among ourselves.

Ms. Fogarty’s main advice throughout the year was to NEVER discuss anything about the reader because we do not care about the reader. Eventually I broke the rules and went on a rant about the reader. I usually do such things when I had writers block or when I needed more information to make it to my last paragraph.  Her commitment for her students resulted in separate meeting with us was and after school. Overall, Ms. Fogarty was cool throughout the school year, she created a comfortable environment for her students and we could have discussed anything with her.

Taking the AP English class has prepared me for taking more college courses because of how challenging the course was. The class also made me think higher of my goals and do the best in whatever you dedicate to. My advice for students who are struggling with the class is to be confident and think about the prize at the end.  Furthermore, gaining a high score on the test and actually receiving the college credit; should be the driving force behind doing your best, because at the end of the day it will be worth it. Therefore,  work hard and do not let giving up be an option.

Being able to take this course was an honor I was able to look as literature differently. I must make the future victims aware, I you are planning on taking an easy course and procrastinate on assignments; this is not the course for you, with Ms. Forgarty’s method of  you have to be able to manage your time and be self aware of due dates ( for they do creep on you without prior notice). The book assignments are the hardest if you trouble with time management; you have to make sure you read every day. This class has made me aware of what college work looks like and I a sure you that there is not much room for error.
This class has defiantly given me a snap shot of what college work will be like. Do I feel ready to job in to college, not really but this class as well as all the other AP classes I have taken this year have made me realize that I have to work on as well as that I need to work on it fast. I have to work on time management, this is a tricky thing to do but it is defiantly not impossible.
The advice that I would like to give to all those who dare and take AP Language and Composition students is don’t over fill your plate with AP’s you have two more years left of your high school career therefore pace yourself . Do not make the same mistake I did, DO NOT TAKE FOUR AP’S IN ONE YEAR, you will feel very overwhelmed and stressed. Second I cannot stress this enough try not to procrastinate, you will dig yourself a deep hole that will be very hard to get out of, and for all those students that are struggling with this class, do not be afraid to ask for help wither it is from your teachers, parents, or other classmates. Never ever be ashamed of asking for help, that could be the difference between a four and a six.

The Snark And Sass From A Young Teacher

I refined it a little so you guys can get the gist of it.
I must say your class is nothing like what I expected, well kind of. My summer was not as fun as it should of been and I blame you and few other A.P. teachers for it. In the beginning of the year I sat in your class expecting the usual reading, writing, and more reading. But instead I was wrong, or maybe just a little off; the reading was actually fun and the class was surprisingly enjoyable. I also thought you would not be as prepared for an A.P class because you are very young, but I actually think that that is what made you even more prepared; it was easier for you to explain things to us because your generation is not that far away.

 I must admit, at first I felt intimidated coming into your class because I am not too well in writing or handing assignments in on time. After a couple of weeks though, I definitely got the hang of it. We have all been preparing for fourth quarter, and I am proud to say that you prepared us well.  Sigh, we knew what we were getting ourselves into. The A.P. was not that bad, but it was still torture I heard those after school extra help secession's really worked; I just wish I could have stayed for them. I was not as worried about the English A.P because I felt confident in my writing and the preparations for the A.P. all because of you.

There has been a drastic change since the beginning of the school year and now. It is completely different to the middle school summaries of bland old stories, for once we got to show meaning and our own charisma.  I am ecstatic that I have improved so much. It all depends though, some days I am really into writing with a good analysis and then other days I am just dead and cannot function. I like how you always remind us to stay on topic and when you see us confused about the prompt, you always go into detail even though we do not ask you too. Maybe it is because you see us wondering off and staring into space, but then again we have you second period and most of us are not early birds.

               The assignments we were assigned could not have been avoided, like that research paper that drove us all crazy. However, they were not that bad. You gave us a reasonable time frame, I just happen to  procrastinate all the time. This class did feel like a college level class, because we were assigned mandatory dates, and the responsibility was all on us. As a teacher, you did a lot of work preparing us for each assignment that I think regular college professors would not do. You have spunk and a lot of sassy/snarkiness, but that is what made you so enjoyable. If we had a monotone teacher, then I definitely would not have stayed in your class. I evolved as a student not only in my writing but in my confidence, those Socratic seminars killed me. But the last one was great, because I had no choice but to try and lead it. If we did not have teachers like you who made us face our fears and have us be confident in our analysis then what would be the point in us writing?

           Your class has taught us how to manage our time and at least try to stay on top with our assignments. For once, one teacher dared to give us the “suck it up” attitude before exams; I think we all needed that because it made us realize reality. After all, someone had too; otherwise most of us still would not be doing our work. You are our teacher because you helped us all improve our writing, but in a way you were also our friend. You gave us awesome advice with college and other A.P tests, but you also gave us advice on how to manage our lives. Not to mention the variety of music videos or classical music to help us relax. However, I am pretty sure that classical music makes some of my classmates cringe. 
          I do not want to keep you long, I REALLY enjoyed your class. I did have trouble at times, got over whelmed about the work, and have mini panic attacks but this is preparing me for the real world. Your assignments were a nightmare sometimes, but on a blue moon it was fun despite the work. You definitely worked us hard this year, but it was for our own good to make us stronger writers. Even when you reminded us that our next assignment was right up our butt, and when your purple pen gave us a discouraging grade. But once again it was for our own good. When we get older there will not be people that are constantly reminding us what needs to get done, and instead of a low grade it could be a “You’re Fired.” Oh Fogarty, I really am going to miss you despite all of your treacherous assignments. Sometimes I imagine you as a prodigy of Donald Trump, maybe your quote could be "You Fail."

Advice to future slaves of writing 

1. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. I know many will tell you not to procrastinate, but this is it. This is the first class where deadlines literally mean your life is on a life line and if you do not hand in your assignment on time then your grade is DEAD. 

2.Always, get on her good side, your grade depends on it.

3. Try to actually think no matter how early or how easily distracted you are! Trust me, sometimes group work is a disadvantage.

4. Never question her logic; there is nothing more annoying than a student questioning a teachers logic or grading style. It is not like you can easily change it.

5. Finally, try your hardest. What you put it is what you get in return. 

Advice to the Harshest Grader

1. Continue giving sass and make life harder for the future students to come. Mold them into proficient writers; there is nothing wrong with expecting more from your students.

2. Try not to jump out of the window. I recall a previous teacher threatening to do so.

A Note

I just wanted to say that even though we only had to comment on two of the posts, I really enjoyed reading the ones that I did and I think I will read more in the future. Everyone's posts are really interesting and I think that it is kind of cool to see how everyone reacted in the same situations. I look forward to reading more of these posts and I hope to see everyone next year. :)

Ms. Fogarty Prefers For Her Students To Use Pencils

To be honest, English was and still is the subject I struggle to stay afloat in. 10^Th grade English itself proved to be a challenge for me let alone AP English. Getting through the class is not the difficult aspect to the class, rather, trying for 7s and 8s on AP essays proved to be more difficult than expected. Fortunately, this school year is coming to a close and the only thing I can do with this class is to reflect and point out the ins and outs as well as the strengths and weaknesses of my all things pertaining my critical reading and writing abilities.

            What makes AP English so hard is not only the reading and writing, but rather the understanding about and beyond the text and a writing that highlights your knowledge of a text, the purpose of the author as well as the rhetorical devices utilized by the author. Encompassing all this could be a lot to incorporate into the class. But, over time and experience reading and writing begins to improve. I believe the biggest aid and contribution to my English language contribution the pointers and tips given from classmates as well as Ms. Fogarty.

            Mainly, the writing proved to be the challenge of the course. Initially, I did not really know what made an essay exceptional. However, throughout the year Ms. Fogarty would show the science behind making an essay good. Throughout the course, I had to improve on staying precise, specific, and choosing appropriate diction usually helped via, useful constructive criticism by Ms. Fogarty in the beginning of this year I received a two on the Marquart FRQ essay then, fast forward towards fourth quarter, and I received a six on the Edward O. Wilson FRQ essay showing the progress made through the year. Characteristically, even at the close of the year I all my AP essays show how undeveloped my writing skills remain with the highest score of a six, but it is still some knowledge gained and for that writing is now an easier less scary topic to tackle especially with the regents coming up.

            Even though my writing has bettered, there’s is always room for improvement. Only I know my writing the best. Although it got better it is not where it should be at or being utilized at its full potential. Through hours of procrastination and a neglect of reading and studying, it takes their toll on the essays. Now that it is the end of the year, all anyone in this case could do is learn from the past. Thus, from firsthand experience, anyone who decides to take AP English or any AP class, should always complete their work with complete effort, and finished early. Ultimately, this will lead to a good work ethic and a well discipline mind, not just benefiting AP English class but college and future careers overall leading to a better life. However, this year was the first AP course I have took, treating it like as a mediocre class would have been my imperative mistake and I know future students will do the same and many will only learn through the experience itself. Although academic priorities where not at the top of my mind this year, it now is. Hopeful, this will serve as an aspiration and inspiration to improve next year. Fortunately enough, I am taking DCC’s English 101 and 102 which will continue to improve my writing skills and argumentation essentially carrying on all throughout college and their essays. But, until then I must continue to improve.

The Struggle Was Real

   This year has been a challenging one for me. It became the year that I wish I could start all over again. I began to slack and procrastinate on almost all of my assignments. Had I maintained the work ethic I possessed in the beginning of the year, I would have done so much better. As the year went on I began to procrastinate more and there came a point where my assignments were no longer being handed in on time. Instead of developing better habits throughout the course, I began doing the exact opposite. Throughout the year I have improved in my reading and writing skills, but I have displayed the improvements due to laziness.

  Although I did begin to not put as much effort as I should have into the class, I did obtain an abundant amount of knowledge. From the beginning of the school year, I have seen an improvement in my writing. My writing has become somewhat more analytical as well as better structured. During the in-class essays, I started to increasingly understand what the prompts were asking for. I would usually run out of time during the essays because I would lose focus on my writing for a few minutes. If I had maintained my focus throughout the entire time for the in-class essays I would have received higher scores. During the first quarter my writing was vague and did not contain much detail. Later on I knew what was required in as essay to achieve a high score. My regular essays were changing into AP essays.

  As a reader, I have also seen an improvement. As the year started off I read with less analysis. But being in this course, I have learned to read carefully and analyze what the author is attempting to say. Paying more attention to the various writing styles among authors as well as trying to relate to what the author is saying. I am glad that we read various amounts of genres throughout the course. It was helpful to read an assortment because each one was different and required a different form of analysis. As my writing and reading improved I began to think more critically throughout the year. Critical thinking played a major role during this course. In order to correctly analyze the material I was reading and organize it into an essay I had to think differently.

  I am glad that I had Ms. Fogarty as a teacher this year. She was always willing to help with improving essays, but I did not take advantage of this opportunity. Taking advantage of this opportunity would have greatly benefited my work. In class we were able to work within groups, which was helpful. Not being able to choose who is in your group was a good thing because in the future we will not always have the option to choose who we want to work with. Working within a group caused us to be dependent on each other because if one person did not do their task the whole group would be influenced by it.

  Once this school year is over, I believe I am prepared to take another college course. Although I did not do as well as I should have, I now know what is expected of a student who enrolls in a college course. I know it is too late to realize this now, but procrastination is never a good thing. Procrastination led me to not reach my full potential. I can only learn from the mistakes I have made and try to make next year a better year for me. I also learned that asking for help is something a student should do if they are confused or just want to improve in a certain area. The next college course that I enter, I know I will do better in because of all the skills and knowledge that I acquired during this year.

Tips To Survive: A.P. English

This school year has been filled with many great experiences. I have learned a great amount of things that will benefit me in my educational career. Throughout this school year I have matured as a writer and as a thinker. This class has taught me to think and write critically in all of my writing. When the school year first began I had a difficult time adjusting to the curriculum of the class. It was a challenge to rearrange my style of writing to that of rhetoric. I had to develop skills such as using a more mature pro style, being able to analyze documents effectively, to think critically while reading documents and much more. As I think back to the beginning of the year my writing has improved greatly. At the beginning of the year my scores on essays were mainly 2’s and 3’s but as I developed my critical writing skills and perfected the style of rhetoric, I saw an increase in my score to 4’s and 5’s. The increase in my scores was a result of practicing my writing on essay prompts, taking the time to learn the style of rhetoric, increasing my vocabulary and using a more mature pros style in my writing. The writing and thinking skills I have learned this school year will benefit me in the rest of my college and educational career.

The things I enjoyed most about the class are that we had a chance to participate in Socratic seminars and had a chance to read a great selection of books. The Socratic seminars were an effective way for the class to share their opinions and ideas on texts and books in a professional way. It sometimes helped to understand the texts and books better, given we had variety of interpretations from classmates. The seminars also sparked up world connections which were very interesting to discuss. I also enjoyed the books we read throughout the year. My favorite book this year was In Cold Blood. The book was very intriguing and mind blowing… (I won’t ruin it for next year’s class).

Besides the academic aspect of the class, our class got the chance to know a great teacher; Ms. Fogarty. To the incoming students of A.P. English you guys have a wonderful teacher. Ms.Fogarty is one of the most “down to earth” English teachers I know. She is very fair and has a great personality. She also has a lot of corny “English teacher” jokes, but you will get used to it; we did. At times she will play classical music when working on assignments; hopefully it won’t put you to sleep. The way Ms. Fogarty runs the classroom is very productive and effective. She gives a great amount of time to finish assignments, she explains the assignment thoroughly, and is available for extra help at any time.

To the incoming students of A.P. English I advise you to take this class seriously. It might seem like a vigorous course at first, but if you pace yourself and allow yourself enough time to finish assignment you will be good. The worst thing you can do with any A.P. class is to procrastinate on assignments; because the class is run at a fast pace it is very easy to get behind. If you try your hardest in the class it will benefit you in the long run. Also take the A.P. exam seriously it will give you the opportunity to gain college credit which is very beneficial. Overall A.P. English is a great class. It will challenge you to think a little harder, but at the end the things you will gain from this class will benefit you, not just educational wise but also in your life journey. I wish you the best of luck in A.P. English and try not to give Fogarty a hard time.

BREAKING NEWS! AP Language: I Survived!

It's official. I survived my Junior year. The APs are over and now I'm counting the days until the last day of school. In the beginning, I thought this year would never end, and now I'm almost sad it's over. Almost, not quite. I'm ready to enjoy my school-free summer. But this isn't about my summer plans (as great as they may be), it's about reflecting back on a year of AP English. It has been a year of great challenge and, in my humble opinion, even greater success.

            In the beginning, I was afraid. My Sophomore year wasn't even over and already I hated my Junior year. Summer work...the root of all evil and a serious pain in the butt for anyone who likes to enjoy sleeping in and doing absolutely nothing during their three months away from the school building. I almost didn't do it and not just because I had no clue what a rhetorical précis was, but because I felt I had other things to do with my time (which I didn't, I just thought I did because, you know, I'm a teenager and it was summer). Despite all my complaining, I did what was asked of me and I didn't die. I wish I had done a better job because looking back, those rhetorical précis paragraphs were terrible, but I take pride in the fact that I at least attempted to do the work, even if it wasn't my best. It laid a strong foundation for the work that I would produce throughout the rest of the year.

            AP prompts are ridiculous. I mean that with complete sincerity. I remember my first AP prompt for this class. It was about an essay on the Midwest and how fantastic the author thought it was (in my own essay I mistakenly called the Midwest the Middle East and I learned that day that proofreading your work is essential). I got a three on that essay. I wanted to cry. I honestly thought that I had written something that was worth my than a three and it tore at my self-confidence. I thought about going to down the guidance office and transferring into a regents level English class. I thought about it, but my pride got in the way, and so I stayed in AP Language.

            I rarely thank my pride for anything (it's one the seven deadly sins to be too prideful) but I thank it now for not allowing to drop this class. I thank my own stubbornness for wanting to show that I was capable of working at an AP level. I worked hard. I took the critique I received and I tried my best to incorporate that into my writing. I think I did well. My argument with sources with paper (which is, in my mind, the best paper I've ever written) received an eight. An eight! I never thought that was humanly possible. After months of fours and fives I thought that was the best I could do and I was frustrated. I think that's what made me work harder. I refused to let an English class get the better of me, even if was an AP.

            I love English. I enjoy writing, but one of my passions is reading. I would read all day if you'd let me. There's really nothing better than sitting down in some quiet space and getting lost in some other world (I often find myself laughing out loud and telling the characters how stupid they are and what I would have done if I were in their position). That's why I've opted to take AP Lit next year. I enjoy the challenge presented by an AP level class and I love reading, so why not combine the two? I survived AP Language and I  have no doubt that I can handle anything AP Lit has to throw at me.

                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                                                                    Dominque Wright

            P.S. This is just a word of advice for any potential AP Language students: Be prepared to work. If you don't put the time into this class, then it's not really worth taking in the first place. Don't complain either. You're the one who wanted to take this class and I highly recommend that you stick with it; that satisfaction you'll get at the end of the year will be so worth all the “torture”.

This has to end!

Throughout the school year AP Language was an eye opening experience. The challenges of this class have allowed me to learn more about the English language and myself. Throughout the year there were many lessons that I learned that will help me in and out of the classroom. There are thing I learned in AP Language that helped me to become a better student.

            This year in AP Language was a learning experience. I learned what I should and shouldn’t do when taking an AP course. My main problem in this class was procrastination. Throughout all of my years in school I procrastinated, but I believe that this year was the worse. I believe the reason I procrastinate so much is because at the last minute I am forced to complete my work and that is how I usually get my work done. For example, I started this paper with only two hours left until the deadline. I had every opportunity to complete this reflection last week or over the weekend, but I waited to the last minute and I have to rush and complete my work before twelve. I adapted the bad habit of procrastination many years ago and it is very hard to get rid of. I know that procrastination is a bad habit and I need to fix it before next year and definitely before college. I also know that I cannot go through life procrastination so I need to stop this bad habit while I can.

            This year my writing and thinking have changed. My writing has improved since the first quarter. In the beginning of the year writing free response questions (FRQ’s) was challenging. In the beginning of the year the essays I wrote did not answer the prompt, but towards the end of the year I began to read the prompt more and actually answer the prompt. My thinking reading and have gotten better. I learned that when reading a book, text, essay, etc. there are a few questions I am must ask my self, such as, what is the author’s purpose of writing this text, who is the intended audience, is this fiction or nonfiction and by asking myself these questions I will be able to get a better understanding of the text. Also by asking myself these questions I was able to become a better thinker because I could just read the words of the text, but I actually had to think beyond the words in order to grasp and understand what the author is really trying to say. These skills can be applied and used in our daily lives and in our future English classes. For instance, in an argument we need to take one side and give our viewpoints and an opposing view on a certain topic. That also can be applied in real life when you get in a disagreement with someone, you need to take your side and use situations to prove the other person wrong.  Therefore AP Language has allowed me to become a better thinker, writer, and reader and allowed me to use the lessons to everyday life.

            The lesson Ms. Fogarty taught us over the school year can really go with us in our educational and personal lives. The way Ms. Fogarty taught was clear and I was able to understand it. Many things in the class worked for me such as peer editing because it allowed me to take criticism of my work from another student in class. I also enjoyed free writing and writing on specific topics. By doing this I was forced to continuously write and think about thing related to a specific topic.

            Overall this year in AP Language has prepared me for future English classes and writing.  I am determined to change my procrastination habits for next year in English 101 and 102. I will used the skills I learned in AP Language and build on them to become a better writer, thinker, and reader. I am happy that I took this class because it gave me a glimpse of how a college level class will and how to prepare for it.

I Survived

This class has gone by so fast, I can’t believe that it’s over! People said that junior year would be the most difficult year in high school, and now I know what they mean. Yes, I expected to make improvements in my reading and writing skills while being in AP English, but I did not expect myself to be the reader and writer I am now. AP English was a journey for me , and even affected me as a person.The skills that I have learned this year will help me in life in the future. These skills also have helped me in different subjects, such as writing essays for American History. I like challenges, so that’s why I chose this class. I look forward to having you as my teacher again next year, and to continue improving on my writing and test taking skills.

Now, when I look at my work from the past year, I have seen growth in my essays. My reading skills have also improved. Before I had trouble understanding some of the essays and short stories that you gave us. Not only have I improved as a reader and writer, I also became a better test taker. When you first gave us multiple choice questions from the AP test I became very nervous. I did not think that I would be able to answer them because the choices for the question were very complex and specific that all of the answers seemed correct to me. I can now easily narrow the choices down and answer the questions. For a while, my essays would constantly score 5‘s. I know that wasn’t a bad score, but I was tired of receiving straight 5‘s. Finally, I scored my first 6 and became very excited, and kept increasing through out time. Practice makes perfect!

I feel as though I am ready to face the English regents next week. The material and techniques that you have taught me throughout the year has made me more confident when writing essays in other classes. Although this class requires a large amount of work, I enjoyed it. English has always been my favorite core subject, and you, out of all of my English teachers have made me enjoy it even more. And I’m not just saying that to be a teachers pet!

For your future students taking this class, hand everything in on time! I slacked off first quarter, and that did not turn out too well. I believe everyone is a procrastinator, and that’s okay, just make sure you get the work done on time and handed in on time! Another tip is to be in class on time, everyday. If you miss one day, you’ll miss a lot of important and helpful information. I wish your future students the best! And I hope that you have a great summer Ms. Fogarty! Thank you for everything! See you in September!