justkeepswimming Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Blue Tent: http://teacherweb.com/USA/BlueTent/Thompson/apt21.aspx PA Homeschoolers with Emily Mulvihill: http://www.aphomeschoolers.com/cgi-bin/choose.pl?class=englang Debra Bell/AIM Academy with Lili Serbicki: http://debrabell.com/online-classes/course-schedule/ AP English wasn't even on our radar to consider a few weeks ago, and so I'm kicking myself for missing Maya Inspektor's class that I've heard such glowing reviews about. :( Everyone else is just seeming blah by comparison. Hoping someone has some firsthand experience with any of the above classes or teachers or other suggestions? Lili Serbicki also teaches at PAHomeschoolers, but her class there is full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at the beach Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Hi! We don't have our AP scores back yet, but I think Lili is a great instructor! Very helpful and supportive and always willing to spend time answering questions and helping students. My daughter took AP Lit with Lili last year via PAHS. She very much enjoyed Lili's class and felt she learned a lot. The class was challenging but not overwhelming. No busywork IMO. The final weeks before the exam were spent on exam prep, and I found that a plus. During that time, Lili also offered extra suggestions for additional reading for kids who wanted to add more. Weekly lectures--you could attend or listen to a recording. My daughter felt very well-prepared for the AP Exam. Lili is very flexible, too. She sets her class up so that assignments are given on a weekly basis. The kids did lots of timed essays toward the end, which was helpful. There were lots of opportunities for extra credit--film reviews, book reviews, exercises in writing short fiction or poetry. Before winter break, a research paper was due. This paper was done over enough of an extended period of time that it was not stressful to do. I believe for the Language class, the paper is persuasive vs a literary analysis, and it can be on any topic the student chooses. I don't know if her class is any different in set-up via AIM Academy. HTH. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Will your dc want to take other AP courses? The answer to that question might help with your choice. For the AP English Language course specifically, you probably cannot go wrong with any of the three options. The two non-PAHS instructors have received good reviews here on the board. As for Emily Mulvihil, while I haven't heard anything specifically about her, the parent reviews look good. One unexpected advantage that my shy son received out of his PA class was that he made friends that he will have classes with next year. I don't know if the other organizations offer classes besides English. After homeschooling for several years, my son briefly attended out local high school full time. While there, he discovered he could do well in classes without putting forth much effort. He picked up on the overall student apathy. His AP Lang. class at PAHS showed him that he wasn't a genius. Everyone in that class was bright, motivated, and hard-working. That inspired him to work hard and constantly look for ways to improve his writing. He enjoyed the discussions and finished the year with a lot of respect for his classmates. I suppose it depends on the student, but my son would rather be in the middle of a tough field than at the top of a group where no one cares. I hope this makes sense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovingparent Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 :bigear: I am mostly listening in. For what it's worth, I have been doing my research regarding AP English. I am hoping to enroll my son for 2015-6. My two options are Blue Tent and Lili Serbicki. I have heard such great reviews for Brigid Thompson as I have for Maya Inspector, both here and in a high school yahoo group. I am also drawn to Ms Serbicki's class because of the live component and the list of readings. My son really loves (and flourishes through) live interaction and the reading list would be a much better fit for him. So, I am keen to listen to what others have to say about the classes. :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 :bigear: I am mostly listening in. For what it's worth, I have been doing my research regarding AP English. I am hoping to enroll my son for 2015-6. My two options are Blue Tent and Lili Serbicki. I have heard such great reviews for Brigid Thompson as I have for Maya Inspector, both here and in a high school yahoo group. I am also drawn to Ms Serbicki's class because of the live component and the list of readings. My son really loves (and flourishes through) live interaction and the reading list would be a much better fit for him. So, I am keen to listen to what others have to say about the classes. :lurk5: Just to give you something else to think about. :D I always thought an AP English class with a live component would be preferable to a class that was asynchronous. However, this last year we knew that it would be difficult to schedule a live class around ds's classes at the high school, especially since he wouldn't know his schedule until school started in the fall. After taking Mrs. Inspektor's AP English Language class, ds is adamant that he had more feedback and more interaction with other students than he did the previous year in his B & M English class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I always thought an AP English class with a live component would be preferable to a class that was asynchronous. However, this last year we knew that it would be difficult to schedule a live class around ds's classes at the high school, especially since he wouldn't know his schedule until school started in the fall. After taking Mrs. Inspektor's AP English Language class, ds is adamant that he had more feedback and more interaction with other students than he did the previous year in his B & M English class. Yes, I'm pretty sure that my youngest will take AP English Language in 2015-2016, and I'm strongly leaning towards asynchronous. She takes a local lit/history/writing class, online Latin, and has an hour-long piano lesson each week during the day, so having one less time-dependent commitment is a big plus. We love the local class, but the writing is very easy for her (probably 2 hours a week of homework, if that). I have no doubt that she is capable of AP-level work even now, but want to do it for for 11th grade, not 10th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justkeepswimming Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 Thank you for the input!!! Looks like any of the choices would be positive, then! That's good news! :) Will your dc want to take other AP courses? She will likely take AP Studio Art at PAHomeschoolers as well - which is a very time-consuming class from my understanding. Our original plans were CC her junior year, but due to time issues (the drive time back and forth 3-4 times a week for just one class...), we're instead looking at online AP courses. She wants to take AP Comp Science, but I am thinking a rigorous English class would be better and she can do another non-AP option for Computer Science languages. We also have considered AP Biology... This year has been a BEAR! Knowing there are only 2 years remaining and so many things she wants to fit in... :/ Not enough time!! So, she would also be taking Pre-Calc, AP Studio Art, Physics, French II, Computer Science, and Environmental Science or Psychology (I have AP-level coursework for both of these though... hmmmm...). She also has music classes/commitments for 8-10 hours per week. Next year, she'll likely take AP Chem and possibly AP Physics alongside (or take one of them at the local univ). So it dawned on me that the best time for a rigorous English class would be this year and I always hear such positive things about the APEnglish classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2boys Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 (edited) I hope, for your child's sake, that you did not choose the class with Emily Mulvihill. She abruptly quit yesterday, leaving an entire AP English Language class without a teacher. (Plus two other English classes.) Edited September 2, 2014 by Susan Wise Bauer Edited because I want to be careful of the teacher's reputation (unknown circumstances). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovingparent Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 (edited) I hope, for your child's sake, that you did not choose the class with Emily Mulvihill. She abruptly quit yesterday, leaving an entire AP English Language class without a teacher. (Plus two other English classes.) This is sad. I hope people get their money back and they are able to find other classes. Thank you for posting. Edited September 2, 2014 by Susan Wise Bauer See above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 (edited) I hope, for your child's sake, that you did not choose the class with Emily Mulvihill. She abruptly quit yesterday, leaving an entire AP English Language class without a teacher. (Plus two other English classes.) WOW. That's awful. Was there any reason given for her abrupt departure? Edited September 2, 2014 by Susan Wise Bauer See above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 we are one of the families affected by this. both dds were taking classes with ms. emily. we can only imagine something catastrophic has happened, and are deeply worried. debra bell sent an email saying it was due to family reasons. meanwhile, we are scrambling for a middle school and an AP English. suggestions? we haven't heard a word from pennsylvania homeschoolers yet. does anyone know what they are planning? sadly, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justkeepswimming Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 (edited) We wound up signing up with Blue Tent for AP Literature (instead of the Lang) - and I have been SO, SO impressed. If they take late enrollees, I cannot recommend Brigid highly enough. She has this down to a science!!! DD is going to learn so much this year!!! Edited March 27, 2015 by Susan Wise Bauer Removed personal information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2boys Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 we are one of the families affected by this. both dds were taking classes with ms. emily. we can only imagine something catastrophic has happened, and are deeply worried. debra bell sent an email saying it was due to family reasons. meanwhile, we are scrambling for a middle school and an AP English. suggestions? we haven't heard a word from pennsylvania homeschoolers yet. does anyone know what they are planning? sadly, ann We are one of the families effected too as my son was enrolled in Emily Mulvihill's Middle School English A class. I had no idea that Pennsylvania Homeschoolers had not yet notified their students. I regret my earlier post and sincerely hope that no one involved finds out here, from me, before they hear from PA Homeschoolers directly. I am sure that the suddenness of the resignation, coupled with it being a holiday, has made it challenging for them to put new plans into place. I feel confident that they will soon be in touch with the effected students. I do want to add that AIM Academy is handling this difficult situation extremely well, and we were given several options, including a full refund. Happily, Debra Bell will now be teaching the class herself, so it will continue on and my son remains enrolled. Ann, I do think remaining in the class is a good option for your daughter. Debra Bell is a very experienced language arts teacher and this may very well be a blessing in disguise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 We are one of the families effected too as my son was enrolled in Emily Mulvihill's Middle School English A class. I had no idea that Pennsylvania Homeschoolers had not yet notified their students. I regret my earlier post and sincerely hope that no one involved finds out here, from me, before they hear from PA Homeschoolers directly. I am sure that the suddenness of the resignation, coupled with it being a holiday, has made it challenging for them to put new plans into place. I feel confident that they will soon be in touch with the effected students. I do want to add that AIM Academy is handling this difficult situation extremely well, and we were given several options, including a full refund. Happily, Debra Bell will now be teaching the class herself, so it will continue on and my son remains enrolled. Ann, I do think remaining in the class is a good option for your daughter. Debra Bell is a very experienced language arts teacher and this may very well be a blessing in disguise. thanks greta; that's what we will do. now to figure out AP English.... ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 hi greta et al - i just wanted to ease your mind re PA homeschoolers; i'm just off the phone with susan richmann. hopefully, she will email parents briefly tonight and then with details tomorrow, but it looks as if everyone will have a class spot. (she asked me to post so i started a separate thread just for that). its just before 7pm here, and both my younger dds once again have english classes. blessings, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justkeepswimming Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 I'm so glad everyone's being taken care if so well. Speaks highly for PA homeschoolers and Debra Bell's classes. :D And hope that all is as well as can be for the instructor who quit so suddenly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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