How did you choose an AP English Language class? Any feedback on PAH Barnes or Follner?

[madteaparty]

Title says it all, feel free to PM if uncomfortable posting. Many thanks

Edited December 28, 2017 by madteaparty

[StephanieZ]

Maya Inspektor at PAH, no compromise . . . My 15 year old will take it with her, or she won't take it at all. 

[madteaparty]

Maya Inspektor at PAH, no compromise . . . My 15 year old will take it with her, or she won't take it at all.

Yes that’s a very respected choice. I prefer the reading list for the other classes though. Thank you!

[Kathy in Richmond]

There were 3 teacher choices for my dd's AP Lang year: Maya, Debra Bell, and a new young woman. Even though friends recommended that we go with one of the established, popular teachers, dd insisted on the 3rd choice based on the class description and reading list. It turned out to be a wonderful year! The bonus was that a small class size (compared to the other sections) and lots of personal feedback from the teacher.

[GeorgiaH]

Dear Kathy,

 

Please tell us the name of the "new young woman" who taught your dd!

 

Thank you!

 

[Kathy in Richmond]

Dear Kathy,

 

Please tell us the name of the "new young woman" who taught your dd!

 

Thank you!

 

Unfortunately, dd's teacher moved on to graduate school & no longer teaches online. But...if I had a new student now, I'd still do the same & look carefully at each teacher's class description before choosing.

[Nicholas_mom]

I haven't chosen one, but I am looking.  For us, it has to be a LIVE class, so PA Homeschoolers are out.   We are looking at Debra Bell, HSLDA and Kolbe Academy.  I do not know if one is better than another.

[hopskipjump]

Have no experience with the two you’ve mentioned.

 

DD1 used Blue Tent for AP Lit due to the reading list at that time. DD2 is taking AP Lang with Blue Tent because we loved the first experience so much. I simply can’t praise Brigid enough.

 

The every day morning notes the PAH English teachers seem to favor we’re just too much for *us*. We want the whole week at once and Blue Tent fits that bill. ðŸ‘

 

DS will enroll in AP Lang with Blue Tent next year for 10th.

[madteaparty]

Have no experience with the two you’ve mentioned.

 

DD1 used Blue Tent for AP Lit due to the reading list at that time. DD2 is taking AP Lang with Blue Tent because we loved the first experience so much. I simply can’t praise Brigid enough.

 

The every day morning notes the PAH English teachers seem to favor we’re just too much for *us*. We want the whole week at once and Blue Tent fits that bill. ðŸ‘

 

DS will enroll in AP Lang with Blue Tent next year for 10th.

They mention approx 3 times on their class description that that class is for juniors and seniors 16 and older. I’m not keen on fighting with them to take DS ;)

[freesia]

My criteria was:

live meeting--weekly for 11th, twice a month for 12th.  If I'm paying, I want the discussion.

Good reviews

Booklist.

 

We went with Kathryn Walker (PAH) for Eng. Language and were very happy.

[hopskipjump]

They mention approx 3 times on their class description that that class is for juniors and seniors 16 and older. I’m not keen on fighting with them to take DS ;)

Ah. That’s reasonable for you not to want to hash it out. 👠Now that I think about it, I think the younger students who have been in dds’ classes have come “up†through their honors courses and are not new enrollees.

 

DS might not be taking AP Lang next year after all. ;) lol

(He will be relieved because he’s doing AP Calc or Stats and AP Chem next year so he’s been fighting me on the English thing. I’ll take it as a sign he’s right & wait til 11th. lol)

[MorningGlory]

We followed Kathy's advice several years ago and carefully read each course description multiple times...

 

My son wanted a small class size and a course that was organized by weekly assignments rather than daily (he always "front-loaded" his weeks). 

 

I wanted a varied and interesting booklist for him. I also looked for evidence that the class covered material and had writing experiences OUTSIDE of the AP syllabus. In other words, I was not interested in a class that solely "taught to the test". But I also wanted built-in review for the exam along the way (instead of heavy hitting at the end of the course). It was a lot to ask! :-)

 

We went with Kathryn Walker and were completely happy and satisfied. She was so kind and encouraging to my son, and I think he would agree that her course was one of the top three most beneficial courses he took in high school. 

[Julie of KY]

Read the course descriptions and everything you can find on the teacher. Email them questions directly. Gather info and then go with your instinct.

 

This is why I currently have one child in Maya's AP English class and my first son did not take her. Different kids need different things.

[rbk mama]

Another recommendation for Kathryn Walker!  She is one of DS's favorite teachers.  The class discussions were interesting, his writing improved, and he sincerely enjoyed the class.  A big reason for choosing her over others was weekly assignments as opposed to daily assignments, which would have driven DS crazy.  He likes having his week planned out in advance.

[SebastianCat]

Maya Inspektor at PAH, no compromise . . . My 15 year old will take it with her, or she won't take it at all. 

 

 

My criteria was:

live meeting--weekly for 11th, twice a month for 12th.  If I'm paying, I want the discussion.

Good reviews

Booklist.

 

We went with Kathryn Walker (PAH) for Eng. Language and were very happy.

 

 

We followed Kathy's advice several years ago and carefully read each course description multiple times...

 

My son wanted a small class size and a course that was organized by weekly assignments rather than daily (he always "front-loaded" his weeks). 

 

I wanted a varied and interesting booklist for him. I also looked for evidence that the class covered material and had writing experiences OUTSIDE of the AP syllabus. In other words, I was not interested in a class that solely "taught to the test". But I also wanted built-in review for the exam along the way (instead of heavy hitting at the end of the course). It was a lot to ask! :-)

 

We went with Kathryn Walker and were completely happy and satisfied. She was so kind and encouraging to my son, and I think he would agree that her course was one of the top three most beneficial courses he took in high school. 

 

 

Read the course descriptions and everything you can find on the teacher. Email them questions directly. Gather info and then go with your instinct.

 

This is why I currently have one child in Maya's AP English class and my first son did not take her. Different kids need different things.

 

 

Another recommendation for Kathryn Walker!  She is one of DS's favorite teachers.  The class discussions were interesting, his writing improved, and he sincerely enjoyed the class.  A big reason for choosing her over others was weekly assignments as opposed to daily assignments, which would have driven DS crazy.  He likes having his week planned out in advance.

 

For those who chose either Maya Inspektor or Kathryn Walker at PAH, could you give me some additional specific details as to why you chose one over the other?   For instance, rbk mama's mention of "weekly assignments as opposed to daily assignments" is very helpful.   

 

My DS will most likely be taking one of these two sections for AP Eng Lang and one specific thing he anticipates needing is a letter of recommendation from his 11th grade English teacher for a couple of very selective universities (service academies) he plans to apply to.   

[freesia]

Kate Walker wrote My ds's letter of recommendation.

 

The discussions were a top decider for me. I also liked it covered s Shakespeare as he hadn't done one yet. I liked the trimester projects. Live discussions and work load were the big reason I didn't chose Maya. I think Walker said 5-10 hours a week and Inspektor was 10-15 or something. I knew ds had a challenging schedule and he didn't enter 11th as an eager student so I didn't want to go overboard with work. The load was just right.

 

The weekly assignments were good but all out online classes have had those, so I'm not sure how it would have worked otherwise.

 

K Walker is really kind and easy to work with.

[rbk mama]

Ditto what freesia said regarding the overall workload. 

 

Kathryn Walker wrote a recommendation for DS, and she was the ONLY one who did it quickly and didn't need reminders! :)

 

[mirabillis]

Love to hear more reviews on Inspektor & Walker. I had long been leaning toward Maya Inspektor.... but I did not realize Walker had a live discussion element. That sounds great. 

 

Tell me, those that took Mrs. Walker's section, how did your kids feel prepared for the AP exam - and did they fare well?

 

What was the live class like - did that greatly enhance the learning?

 

Thanks!

 

 

[amathis229]

My ds had Follmer last year. I was going to enroll him in Inspektor's course, based on reviews, but it had filled. Follmer had The New Jim Crow on her reading list, a book I wanted ds to read, so we went with her. Ds did not enjoy the class, but he doesn't care for online learning - no reflection on Follmer. He received a B+ in the course and made a 4 on the AP exam, so I feel like the course preparation and evaluation aligned well with the exam. 

 

 

[Omma]

We give the highest possible marks to the master teacher, Janie Barbosa, at HSLDA Online Academy for AP English Lang. & Comp.  My ds will bend over backwards to give her his best work (and believe me, that does not happen often :)).  He loves the course and her as a writing coach so much that he actually requested a book on punctuation for Christmas that she recommended!!!  Mrs. Barbosa knows how to inspire students to better writing.  Her motivational techniques are wonderful and they work!  We are beyond thrilled with our choice for AP English Lang. & Comp. this year.

 

Brenda

 

P.S.  I can hardly recognize my ds's writing; it has improved so much.  Also, he jumped 200 pts. from taking the SAT last year to taking the ACT this past month...and he scored above 93% in English (which I really attribute to this particular class).

Edited January 1, 2018 by Omma

[freesia]

Ds ended up with a 5 after the class with Walker.

[rbk mama]

DS got a 5 after the class with Kathryn Walker.  He says the live discussions were interesting - they got better after everyone loosened up and did video :).

[G5052]

I signed my youngest up for Maya Inspecktor at a time when I really couldn't afford it, but it was life-changing. That was her favorite high school class, and she was a T.A. the following year.

 

My daughter was an excellent writer going in, but the class took her up a notch and led to her college major (English with a rhetoric focus).

 

You do have to have a student who is self-motivated and able to learn that way. That format isn't for everyone.

 

 

[madteaparty]

I signed my youngest up for Maya Inspecktor at a time when I really couldn't afford it, but it was life-changing. That was her favorite high school class, and she was a T.A. the following year.

 

My daughter was an excellent writer going in, but the class took her up a notch and led to her college major (English with a rhetoric focus).

 

You do have to have a student who is self-motivated and able to learn that way. That format isn't for everyone.

I keep reading these amazing reviews of Ms Inspektor’s class, and realize they must be well-deserved.

For us though, maybe because DS takes some DE classes and is used to that relationship with the professors, I can’t imagine an English class without live interaction and discussion. But maybe this is just my particular kid.

Thank you to everyone that has posted here, please keep sharing!

Edited January 1, 2018 by madteaparty

[Mom22ns]

Ds took Maya's AP English a few years ago. It was an excellent class. Her messages to the kids were full of real teaching and were interesting and compelling. He was a good writer who got better with Maya and is now an junior double majoring in English and Writing. The workload was heavy, particularly first semester. Maya gave great feedback and really grew her students.

 

I would also point out that Maya's class (at that time at least) didn't have a book list, but the students chose their own reading (outside of the short works they wrote about). They formed book clubs and alternated between fiction and non-fiction reading. The book clubs ds was part of all used Skype to have live meetings and discuss what they were reading. It was an excellent addition and provided the opportunity and flexibility for students who had broad reading backgrounds to still find books they were interested in and hadn't read before. 

[G5052]

I keep reading these amazing reviews of Ms Inspektor’s class, and realize they must be well-deserved.

For us though, maybe because DS takes some DE classes and is used to that relationship with the professors, I can’t imagine an English class without live interaction and discussion. But maybe this is just my particular kid.

Thank you to everyone that has posted here, please keep sharing!

 

Yes, I was concerned about the asynchronous nature of the class because she loved her face-to-face and live online classes so much, but it worked well for her. She had to take all online classes this fall in college because of health issues, and she said that she applied a lot of the same skills there.

 

It remains very interactive, but in a text-based way.

[G5052]

I would also point out that Maya's class (at that time at least) didn't have a book list, but the students chose their own reading (outside of the short works they wrote about). They formed book clubs and alternated between fiction and non-fiction reading. The book clubs ds was part of all used Skype to have live meetings and discuss what they were reading. It was an excellent addition and provided the opportunity and flexibility for students who had broad reading backgrounds to still find books they were interested in and hadn't read before. 

 

Yes, I forgot about that. My daughter enjoyed that too.

[Renaissance Mom]

Her messages to the kids were full of real teaching and were interesting and compelling...Maya gave great feedback and really grew her students.

 

 

So, what does this look like? Do you have any examples you could share to help me visualize this? (Obviously, I would expect any examples to be adjusted for privacy reasons.)

 

Thanks,

[yvonne]

So, what does this look like? Do you have any examples you could share to help me visualize this?

 

There's a sample week posted at the bottom of Maya's AP Eng page.

[cuckoomamma]

Another recommendation for Maya Inspector.  Dd took her Lang course last year and was adamant about taking her Lit course this year.  I knew that many only take one because they may only get credit for one English class at college, but dd has enjoyed having her so much.  She also took her college essay class last summer.  

 

Like one of the other posters, I preferred the reading list of a different class, but dd had such a wonderful experience with Maya that there was no choice for her.  There are daily messages and Maya is both encouraging and precise with her comments.  Dd writes so much better than I do now and did get both an A in the class and a 5 on the exam.  I wish Maya taught another English class for dd for next year!

 

When researching Lang classes I had emailed Lilli Serbicki and she responded right away and had a very clear and open dialogue with me.  She has a live component to her class which was at a time that dd would not be able to attend.  I'm not sure if she's still teaching her online classes but many have recommended her, as well.

[freesia]

This year ds is doing English lit with Lili Serbeki. I like her a lot. I can't speak to results bc he's only half way done and had Eng Lang last year. I like her feedback and she has been flexible about an extension for a big project when ds has honors interviews to attend.

[merylvdm]

We used Sonlight all through high school and I added some vocab and grammar in but I didn't do anything special for AP Language. We just got the Princeton review book and went through it 2 weeks before they took the test. One friend of one of my son's also just got the test prep book and didn't take any class. All 3 of mine, and the friend got 5s.  My kids all said it was the easiest AP they did.

[madteaparty]

We used Sonlight all through high school and I added some vocab and grammar in but I didn't do anything special for AP Language. We just got the Princeton review book and went through it 2 weeks before they took the test. One friend of one of my son's also just got the test prep book and didn't take any class. All 3 of mine, and the friend got 5s. My kids all said it was the easiest AP they did.

So what was the hardest AP in their view?

[merylvdm]

So what was the hardest AP in their view?

 

As a mom I would say, the ones they didn't study for! They all did different ones but Spanish was hard - there is a listening portion which they found difficult. Calculus - but then I am not sure my son really did much prep for that. 

 

My youngest daughter did AP Psychology last year and she pretty much learned everything in 6 days (she is at public school now and took IB Psych but decided to write the AP exam - and discovered there was hardly any overlap). She got a 5 so I would say that is another really easy one.

[freesia]

Less than 10% of students get a 5 on the English Language.  I don't think it's really considered one of the easier ones.  It's awesome your children thought so.  All the reading and writing with Sonlight and being used to talking about books helped I am sure.

[AStableBeginning]

Maya Inspektor at PAH, no compromise . . . My 15 year old will take it with her, or she won't take it at all. 

 

My daughter is currently in this class and LOVES it! 

[satellite]

 

On 12/30/2017 at 7:41 AM, MorningGlory said:

We went with Kathryn Walker and were completely happy and satisfied. She was so kind and encouraging to my son, and I think he would agree that her course was one of the top three most beneficial courses he took in high school. 

 

Kathryn Walker's class if full! :(

[Omma]

Just wanted to add, now that we are nearing the end of HSLDA's school year, that my ds begged his AP Lang. instructor, Ms. Janie Barbosa, to teach an extra class as he cannot bear to have this course end...and she agreed.  Thus, she is doing an optional extra class tonight on Creative Writing, just because the class (led by my ds) desired it!!!  She has been a FABULOUS choice to prepare my ds for writing college essays and the like.  The 'proof in the pudding' for us is not only that he loves to write and now is considering an English minor in college, but also he is getting an essay published in a magazine (the same essay he submitted for a college scholarship earning him $3k per year over the course of 4 years).

[madteaparty]

On 4/23/2018 at 9:31 AM, Omma said:

Just wanted to add, now that we are nearing the end of HSLDA's school year, that my ds begged his AP Lang. instructor, Ms. Janie Barbosa, to teach an extra class as he cannot bear to have this course end...and she agreed.  Thus, she is doing an optional extra class tonight on Creative Writing, just because the class (led by my ds) desired it!!!  She has been a FABULOUS choice to prepare my ds for writing college essays and the like.  The 'proof in the pudding' for us is not only that he loves to write and now is considering an English minor in college, but also he is getting an essay published in a magazine (the same essay he submitted for a college scholarship earning him $3k per year over the course of 4 years).

That’s an amazing testament. Mind sharing the magazine/ essay? 

Our schedule for next year is so wonky still. We picked a class with a live component which he won’t even be able to do (the live but) as it conflicts with his DE class  :(

[Omma]

The essay has to do with having a campus one mindset from experiences learned while growing up in America as an Asian Adoptee, and the magazine has an adoption focus.

[satellite]

On 1/3/2018 at 7:29 AM, freesia said:

This year ds is doing English lit with Lili Serbeki. I like her a lot. I can't speak to results bc he's only half way done and had Eng Lang last year. I like her feedback and she has been flexible about an extension for a big project when ds has honors interviews to attend.

Not too much busywork?