What to expect in 4th year/AP Spanish by Profe Hogan

What will I score on the test if I take it?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-29 20:25:18 UTC

AP scores vary a lot from year to year, based on the difficulty of prompts and students' preparedness. It's important to note that a lot of schools have AP as a 5th year course instead of 4th year, but many UHS students still earn passing scores after only 4 years of Spanish! That's because you are tenacious, genuine, and hardworking. The average (mean) score for UHS students over the past 5 years of data is 3.47. Last year, 80% of students in this class earned a 3 or higher. You may also decide to take an end-of-course exam in class for a grade, instead of the AP test. Both this end-of-course exam and the AP test can qualify you for the WA State Seal of Biliteracy.

Students

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-29 20:33:55 UTC

Fourth year / AP is an incredibly diverse class in terms of students' backgrounds, strengths, motivations for taking the class, commitment to the AP test, interest in different aspects of language and culture, exposure to Spanish, writing skills, pronunciation, etc. This makes it a scary class to teach (how can I possibly meet everyone's needs?!) and a rewarding class to teach (you learn so much from one another, and your differences are a testament to the role of diversity in creating meaningful, challenging learning experiences together). If you take the course as just 4th year (not AP), you will not be accountable for the test-prep activities and assignments, but you will engage in readings and conversations with the whole group.

Themes

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-29 22:33:13 UTC

Course overview

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-29 22:34:33 UTC

In order to qualify as an Advanced Placement class, our course must meet specific requirements, like using authentic (not made-for-school) sources and doing everything in Spanish. A complete course overview can be found here. In either section of the course, by the end of 4th year you should be able to initiate and maintain conversations by asking and responding to a wide variety of simple questions.

Test sections

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-29 22:37:03 UTC

The course is designed to build your skills at interpretive (listening and reading), speaking, and writing in Spanish, but also: almost everything we do in class helps you to prepare for at least one of these test sections.

Syllabus

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-29 22:41:37 UTC

See the course syllabus and Powtoons video posted on Canvas for grading requirements and more information.

Do you like your hairstyle?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-30 20:09:21 UTC

I don't think about it very much. The cool thing about being over 40 is that I feel more and more comfortable in my own skin, no matter how lumpy or imperfect. If you don't already have the experience of being mostly comfortable in your skin almost every day, I hope you get to try it sometime.

Why did you decide to study Spanish?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-30 23:57:23 UTC

By accident. I had studied a little Spanish in college and I wanted to spend a few months in Spain in and then do an internship in Paris. But I kept extending my stay in Spain. After that I came back to the US and got a degree in Linguistics. I hoped to get a job at a community college teaching English, but ended up working as an interpreter for a while, more stuff happened, I got my teaching endorsement in both English and Spanish, and it turned out it was easier to find a job in Spanish. I'm SO GLAD I ended up where I am, because I am really enjoying this work.

What's your favorite band?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-30 23:58:38 UTC

Don't have one. I usually listen to podcasts, folk, or country when I'm working around the house, I like dancing to reggaetón, salsa, and funk, and I listen to Latin folk and rock when I'm driving.

Can we talk in English?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-31 00:00:13 UTC

Absolutely, in your English class.

Will we always sit like this?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-31 00:00:21 UTC

Sometimes we'll start in a circle. Facing one another allows me to see immediately if the group is having trouble understanding, or is distracted by something. It also helps us to get to know one another. It makes it easier to get up to do partner and group work. When we do extended writing exercises, you can usually turn to the table behind you or reconfigure your seating. I change the seating and chart every few weeks, depending on our activities.

Who is your favorite student?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-31 00:08:34 UTC

I don't decide this until late June.

What's your favorite class?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-31 00:09:27 UTC

I love teaching both 2nd year and an advanced class. It's a nice mix and keeps me on my toes. If I could take classes at Union, I'd love to take Physics or Chemistry. I never got to take those in high school.

What is your philosophy?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-31 00:10:45 UTC

Actually, I was recently re-reading a book I read a few years ago about Stoicism. So amazing! If you think you know what this is, you're probably wrong. In a way it's a lot more like Buddhism than most Western philosophical perspectives.

Is there a lot of homework?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-31 00:12:10 UTC

Mostly just catching up from absences, and the test prep activities online (AP section). You should expect to be mentally present all the time in class, and to study vocab outside of class.

How will this class challenge me?

marjorie_hogan — 2017-08-31 00:13:17 UTC

If you're curious about the content, you can check out the AP college board website and see a little of the scope of the course. In general, the course is based on themes and texts related to those themes, rather than groups of vocab words and grammar concepts. There are high standards for clarity and content in the AP writing rubrics on which our writing exercises are based.

What things do you do when you're bored on a plane?

marjorie_hogan — 2023-09-14 19:08:04 UTC

On a plane, I read short stories or articles and sleep. I also like to look at the people around me and make up stories about their lives. In my spare time on earth, I like to nap, ride my bike, and spend time with friends.

¿Cuál es tu color favorito?

marjorie_hogan — 2023-09-14 19:08:36 UTC

marrón / café

¿Tamales rojos o verdes?

marjorie_hogan — 2023-09-14 19:08:50 UTC

Verdes

¿Cuál es tu parte favorita del Perú?

marjorie_hogan — 2023-09-14 19:11:02 UTC

algunos barrios de Lima, el pueblo de Huanta cerca de Ayacucho, y el Callejón de Huaylas

Otras preguntas (answers to other random questions)

marjorie_hogan — 2023-09-14 19:12:54 UTC

No tengo mascotas; no tengo película ni país favorito; me arrestó la policía solo una vez, hace más de una década; mi tatuaje es de una hacha; empecé a estudiar español con 16 años

Homework

marjorie_hogan — 2023-09-14 19:15:07 UTC

I design this course to have very little homework; you will need to study vocabulary outside of class, complete anything you didn't finish during class time, and stay very present and focused to get the most out of class time. That said, it's not an "easy" course. Participating in an immersion setting is hard work! Preparing for the AP exam can be tough, and persevering when you are frustrated is important.