Yvonne Kaatz retired this past year from teaching Composition I for LeTourneau University.  She previously taught 11th grade AP English Language and Composition and 10th-grade Pre-AP English at Dripping Springs High School where she served as Department Chairman for over 10 years and as an Instructional Facilitator the last three years of her career in public education.  She has taught 9th or 10th-grade Pre-AP English for 32 years and AP Language for over 20 years.  For the past 19 years, she has presented at one- and two-day conferences for the College Board, and in 2006 at the AP National Conference. Since the summer of 2006, she has presented at week-long conferences in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Utah.  In 2017, Mrs. Kaatz was selected as the Outstanding Teacher of Humanities for the state of Texas.  She has previously served as an events coordinator, grade-level team leader, district curriculum advisor for Austin ISD, AP Coordinator for DSISD, and a mentor for San Antonio’s Northside School District. She holds a BS from Texas A&M with a specialization in writing.

You can reach Yvonne at: [email protected]

 YVONNE KATZ
AP LANGUAGE and COMPOSITION - ONLINE

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will articulate the new course framework for the AP Language and Composition Exam.  Specific instruction and time will be allotted to look at course development using the framework.  Participants will explore ways to improve and enhance an AP Language and Composition high school English course and will share ideas on how to develop lessons for major units to reflect AP goals and the new course framework.  Participants will also discuss the AP Language and Composition exam and how to best relate AP goals to future student success beyond the exam. 

Participants will explore ways to improve and enhance an AP English course by focusing on the following items:
  • Exam Information
  • Course Framework
  • Instructional Planning Report
  • AP Classroom
  • Close reading
  • Annotating the text
  • Analyzing an Author’s Style
  • Attacking an AP Prompt
  • Developing personal voice in writing
  • Methods for working with non-fiction texts and analysis
  • Creative ways to teach analysis.

OBJECTIVE:  I hope to articulate exam expectations and to share ideas on how to organize your course, develop your students’ writing, and build a successful AP course for student success on the exam and beyond.  The ideas that I share can be applied to various novels so it will be up to you to adapt them to your course and your materials.  

AGENDA
Day One:
Morning Session
  • Business Items
  • Teacher Introduction
  • Conference Goals
  • Diversity & Inclusion & Equity & Access 
  • Participant Introductions
Lunch 
Afternoon Session
  • AP Exam Information
  • Look at multiple-choice
  • Look at FRQ 1, rubric, and sample essays
Day Two 
Morning Session                             
  • Poetry Lines will be shared now and after each break
  • Cover questions and wrap up items from Monday
  • Look at FRQ 2, rubric, & sample essays
  • Cover Handouts:  thematic statement, thesis statement, building an AP essay, & body paragraph set-up handouts
  • Practice Attacking a Prompt & Pre-write
Lunch 
Afternoon Session
  • Continue with Question 2 
  • Practice Attacking a Prompt & Pre-write #1
  • Read sample essays
  • Look at Question 1 Pre-writing on Test
  • Look at Question 2 Pre-writing on Test
  • Complete Pre-write #2

Day Three
Morning Session
  • Wrap up items for Day 2
  • Practice Attacking the Prompt & Pre-write #3
  • Look at FRQ 3, rubric, & sample essays
  • Course Framework
Lunch
Afternoon Session
  • Practice Attacking the Prompt & Pre-write #4
  • Planning Your Course - Discussion
  • Planning Your Course – How Will You Organize Assignment
Day Four
Morning Session
  • Kaatz’s ideas for Organizing the Year/Lessons
  • UpFront Analysis Assignment
  • Discussions / Time to think
Lunch 
Afternoon Session
  • AP Classroom
  • Instructional Planning
  • Syllabus
  • Online Resources
  • Time to Work

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