Jim Jordan has taught AP English Language and Composition at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco since 2000, during which time he has served as English Department Chair, Cross-Curricular Writing Coordinator, and school-wide AP Instructional Cohort leader. A certified College Board Consultant, Jim has served as a Reader, Table Leader and Question Leader for the AP English Language Exam since 2007, and consulted on the newly designed curriculum framework for the course in 2015. A regular video and webinar contributor to platforms such as teachingrhetoric.com and Marco Learning’s PopUp PD, Jim has actively promoted the cross-disciplinary value of rhetoric at both state and national conferences, presenting at the College Board’s 2014 National Forum in Las Vegas, the 2015 and 2016 AP Annual Conventions in Austin and Anaheim, the College Board National Forum, the 2019 Forum in Washington D.C., the AP Annual Convention, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and the California Association of Teachers of English (CATE). Jim earned a BA Degree in Broadcast Journalism from San Francisco State University and an MA in Private School Leadership along with his California English Teaching Credential from the University of San Francisco.
Course Description: This workshop is designed for teachers of AP English Language and Composition. We will focus on motivating students by demonstrating ways rhetoric can prepare them not only for the AP Language exam, but for success in all upper-level academic courses. Beginning with rhetorical reading strategies and activities, we will explore contemporary units and lessons proven to effectively teach the three main skills required for success in the course: argument, rhetorical analysis, and research (synthesis). Participants will receive several model writing exercises and assessments, including highly accessible models for analyzing the common arguments we encounter in our daily lives. Because AP English Language students need many opportunities to discuss complex texts in multiple genres, participants will gain hands-on experience with rhetorical-reading approaches to non-fiction, literary, and informational texts. We will conduct a simulated reading of recent Free-Response exam questions, and participants will receive full sets of sample student papers along with strategies for using those samples to inform teaching and learning. Please bring a laptop or tablet for immediate access to multiple digital resources.
Workshop Goals:
- To identify and apply the standards of the AP English Language and Composition exam to classroom practices
- To explore and develop effective AP Language units, lessons and syllabi
- To expand participants’ repertoire of successful instructional strategies
- To explore online resources such as AP Classroom and AP Daily
- To develop a network of valuable colleagues
- To promote the cross-disciplinary benefits of AP Language curriculum
Why attend an in-person APSI? Meaningful discussions and collaborations!
AP English Teachers collaborating during an APSI to develop a lesson to foster students’ ability to write an essay providing evidence to support a line of reasoning. This lesson helps students do well on an AP English Language Test Question.
AP English Language Test Question
