Today Ms. Serensky mentioned during her “Blog Banter” some of the differences between the AP English 11 and AP English 12 students. She told of one scenario during an in class writings when she gives the five and ten minute warnings. The 11th graders begin to fidget, breathe heavily and shuffle around, while the 12th graders do not flinch and continue writing. The comment made me remember 11th grade English class, a time of stress, panic and fear. My brother, Michael, at the same time took AP English 12 with Ms. Serensky. Overall, I did benefit from Michael’s knowledge of English and willingness to help me, but it also created a small resentment toward him. He would laugh at my very serious questions such as “What is the difference between situational and dramatic irony?” or “In the heading what comes first her name or the class?” He would shake his head when I would complain during dinner of my inability to write a one page SOAPSTone on an essay from “50 Great Essays,” all the while warning me of the difficulty of 12th grade English. He would make a point to show me when I walked past his poetry papers and I would gasp at his finished 20 page data sheets. With English 8th period he would always come to the car, late, with English on his mind. He would tell me fun stories from class that day and the jokes they shared. I loathed the thought that the 12th graders enjoyed class while just entering the class made me nervous. However, looking back now I see that I am no different. I find amusement in the 11th graders anxiety for such simple tasks and apprehension for each class. I now see that I have grown much from where I started and the huge difference between the11th and 12th grade English classes.
Kathryn, I can totally relate to this! Last year, seniors would often ask me how English was and when I complained about timed in class writings they would simply smirk and shake their heads. Now, I have found myself doing the same thing as Leslie Hoye told me of her struggle to finish a paragraph in thirty minutes. I must say, I prefer being the one amused.
ReplyDeleteKathryn, I totally agree with you that we have all come along way as we made the transition between the stressful AP English 11 and the glory days of AP English 12. Last year, when seniors expressed the increased difficulty between AP English 11 and AP English 12, I thought I may pass out, but I, strangely, find senior year much easier to handle. I feel a bit of a senior ego when a junior asks me some question about AP English 11 or complains about having to complete a SOAPSTone chart, and I have no choice but to give them a sarcastic chuckle.
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