From May 7-18, high school students took their annual Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Students spent days, weeks, and even months preparing for their assessments, reviewing content and solving questions. Behind the haste and stress of the exams, teachers ensured that students were well prepared and confident about their tests through means of their own, and touched the hearts of students along the way.

Often, AP testing preparation starts slowly with a rundown of content from the beginning of the year to the end. Though some teachers devote their time going over harder content within the class, many choose to prepare study guides and short quizzes to remind the students of information from the beginning of the year. Teachers often pull out test preparation questions from test preparation books as well as previously released exams.

For example, in preparation for the AP Chemistry exam this year, Rose Tyvand, chemistry teacher, copied multiple practice tests from both the College Board and preparation books for students both afterschool and during class.

“Dr. Tyvand has tirelessly tried to provide us with resources to prepare us well for the AP Chemistry exam throughout the year,” said Sarah Jung, AP Chemistry student. “She even sent all of us personal emails on the morning of the exam to reassure us of our capabilities, which touched all of our hearts by calming us down before the big test.”

For many students, the biggest help came after school when teachers offered study time in their classrooms for extra practice and extra sessions. Michael Silber, AP world history teacher, aided a number of teachers in an effort to give more time for students to prepare with guidance.

“It’s time that I feel I am obligated to put in and spend – and I enjoy it,” Mr.
Silber said. “I don’t look at this as something that I dread. Of course, if you are teaching APs, there is a jump in terms of the workload, especially with after school test preparations and tutorials. But on the other hand, after the APs are over, there is a significant drop in the workload for teachers and students. That’s just part of the deal.”

In all, the help from numerous teachers alleviated some of the pressure put on the students during the stress-filled AP week. With such efforts and aid from many of the teachers, students were able to maximize their learning experience and practice more for the AP test.

“I think it’s good for students to understand too that their teachers care about their success,” Mr. Silber said. “I think teachers are part of the process and are involved in the outcome. Doing things after school should reveal to students that their teachers do care about their success. Hopefully, more students can recognize these opportunities for additional support and take advantage of them.”