Throughout their education, honors students are expected to analyze many compound ideas, and communicate their analysis efficiently. Luckily the course, AP Seminar, is an advocate for these skills. Our AP Seminar teacher, Mrs. Floyd said, “ We focus on research skills, writing skills, and presentation skills.” The assignments are constructed to help students advance in these areas. Mrs. Floyd has provided various assignments that focus on the advancement of these skills. A junior student, Manrajpreet Singh said, “ This class has helped me advance my research skills by learning how to construct strong lines of reasoning, learn how to properly cite scholarly sources, and improve public speaking skills.” This course sets the foundation for future success in students in college level based research and writing.
Although considered rigorous, the hard work really does pay off. This course goes into depth of the skills needed for the future. Mrs floyd said, “It is more like graduate level work, like after college work that the students are doing”. The course encourages independent work and time management. The projects in this class are different from any other. Students are put in a position to randomly work with others, even though opinions may collide. Students are expected to analyze complex issues while also verbally providing evidence in front of other people. This task advocates for clear communication skills which becomes essential in higher education levels or professional settings. A junior student, Bo Bennet said, “Ap Seminar has helped me advance in my skills by getting better at talking in front of people because you have to do it a lot”. While some have a fear of performing this task, this is inevitable. This class prepares students to overcome this fear while also enabling them to look at an issue from multiple perspectives. The group work incorporates adequate speaking skills through hearing how others might view an issue.
Amongst students currently enrolled in AP Seminar, one common theme is that this class is beneficial. Manrajpreet Singh said, “ I strongly recommend younger classmen take this course. I would definitely take this class again.” Another junior student, Bo Bennet said, “I would take this class again because it helps prepare you for college.” Junior student Lacey Williams said, “ AP Seminar has helped me get better at research and knowing what key words to put in when I’m trying to research something.” Although these same students agreed this course to be challenging at times, overall they claim the class has been more beneficial than detrimental. The AP Seminar course is designed to challenge students and push them out of their comfort zone, which has had positive outcomes. These students spend much of their time hard at work from the rigor. Bo Bennet said, “On average last semester I spent 20 hours a week on AP Seminar.” Time is not just spent inside the classroom, but outside the classroom as well. Some projects that have been assigned are Mock PT 1 and 2. This is a project where students engage in socratic seminars while also enhancing their research and comprehension skills. This also advocates for critical thinking and precise speaking better preparing the students for future public speaking and research projects. The hard work, and many hours spent has resulted in positive feedback from students. Manrajpreet Singh said, “ If I were to take this class again I would want to receive feedback from teachers and actually try to publish the research papers.” Aside from the challenging work, students have still managed to create many memories in this class.
When Lacey WIlliams was asked what her favorite memory from the class was, she said, “ Doing just Dance.”Mrs Floyd was able to compensate for the student’s stress by indulging their minds into some Just Dance. Manrajpreet Singh also said, “Mrs. Floyd has made the class an amazing experience.” While the work is intense, Mrs. Floyd still eased their stress with a temporary break, overall creating a more relaxed experience for the students resulting in encouraging more students to take this course. Thanks to Mrs. Floyd’s teachings,this has assisted in the welcoming of students to take this course. Mrs Floyd said, “I enjoy teaching this class and watching the topics the students choose.”The positive atmosphere has definitely helped encourage the students in their work. The atmosphere created and course work gives an experience that one can look forward to and enjoy, as well as gaining much more from the rigour than stress. The AP Seminar is an advanced course that will prepare students for the rigor and workload to come in the future for higher education programs and professional settings.
