Taking AP Language and Composition as a junior really provides a perspective as to how great lit class can be when it’s not taught specifically towards a rigorous exam.
As one would expect, AP classes are structured specifically to excel on the test in the spring, which could end up saving a student money in college costs, depending on how well the student performs. While arguably effective, this regimented schedule makes English class represent everything the subject is against, in theory: A lack of freedom, creativity, and artistic expression.
Although I’ve only experienced one AP class at LHS, which is AP Lang, it became clear very quickly that the majority of the material would be structured and research-type assignments, like a four-page research essay on cause and effect we recently did. Although this can be valuable in preparing for future work in college and other classes, the regimented workload becomes a burden in little time.
Lit class should be the time in your day to let your mind drift and transcribe your expression onto paper, creating art. It should be a venue for your philosophic insights to come out, and a time to provoke thought and begin to understand the world in which we live. Although I have an awesome teacher who does a great job of balancing the two contrasts, the class often feels like a chore to me, which as an English class, should feel like a sigh of relief in your day, in my opinion.
However, we can’t really blame the school for the more structured schedule. As an institution, it’s without a doubt its job to help students succeed academically, which such a schedule will accomplish. But we could also argue that it’s a school’s job to enlighten its students with artistic expression and the joy and peace it can bring.
As there are assignments that are more creative in nature within the school year, I think it’s clear that the English department at LHS has kept this dilemma between school success and the allowance of individual expression in mind. These units were great, but never seemed to last too long, and were usually immediately replaced by a test-driven unit, like writing endless, dry essays, or practicing difficult multiple choice questions. Some of the more creative or traditional literature units included reading novels like The Great Gatsby and various narrative works.
To me, English is a means of understanding and acknowledging the world around us through the creativity of the author, or writing it yourself. It’s a way of comprehending the daily struggles in life by showing people that they’re not alone with their problems. Essay assignments, while prevalent in college, are a more scientific and formulaic means of English class and restrict the necessary flow of expression that human beings require.
So where is a compromise to be found? As someone who thoroughly values the philosophic and expressive nature of English, it is important to find a balance, even though the class is labeled AP. As a solution, I would propose that we could have a differentiation between an AP class and an alternative high-level class, which would be less of an exam-driven schedule and allow for artistic growth, while at the difficulty level some students crave. As an honors lit class is currently not an option for juniors or seniors, this could be an upper-class option, if honors still is not available. Although students don’t have to take the AP test in many AP classes, the increased difficulty of a class without the regimented schedule would be preferable to some.
