College Board consultant and educator Katherine Jaroch is originally from St. Louis, Missouri, and has taught English on both coasts for the past 17 years. She holds a B.S. from Miami University and an M.A. from The University of Michigan and earned her National Board Certification in 2007. Since 2015, she has been teaching at South Pasadena High School just outside Los Angeles, California, where she is the lead AP Lang teacher. She has extensive experience with new teacher mentoring and adult learning, has spearheaded curriculum development in Ethnic Studies and other courses, and has served as Department Chair and ELD Site Coordinator. AP Lang is her preferred course to teach, and her class has been considered a favorite of students for both its rigor and accessibility. She is particularly skilled at effectively integrating writing conferences and reflection strategies, and supporting recently reclassified ELD students in AP Lang. Katherine was voted Teacher of the Year at SPHS in 2021 and she enjoys running, reading, and spending quality time with her adolescent son (when he allows it).
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KATHERINE JAROCHKatie can be contacted at [email protected]
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
This institute is designed for both new and experienced AP Language and Composition teachers to come together as a community of learners and enhance their teaching practices, discover new resources, and engage in activities to help plan, instruct, and manage the AP Lang course. Participants will explore the CED, review and discuss scored student writing samples from the 2025 digital exam, and learn how to skillfully navigate AP Classroom for its formative assessments and targeted practice. Over the course of the week, participants will also gain insight into diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as best practices for teaching critical thinking and close-reading skills through varied texts that bring the world into the classroom and make this course matter, at a deep level, for students. Participants will also learn how to choose texts and authors while creating or tailoring syllabi to prepare students for success on the AP Exam and in college-level writing. Particular attention will be paid to designing flexible collaborative groups and routines in the classroom to encourage discussion and reflective practices all year long, as well as how to provide multiple reading and writing opportunities for students while staying on top of grading. Finally, we will share best practices for teaching and scaffolding rhetorical analysis, synthesis, and argument. Participants will receive full sets of sample student essays from the 2025 exam. Participants, bring a laptop and ensure you have access to your school calendar for the 2025-26 school year.
AGENDA
Day One:
Overview and Groundwork
Overview of the Course and Exam Description (CED) and AP Language Course
Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Access
The Foundations of Rhetoric Course and Syllabus Design
Classroom Organization
Unit and Lesson Planning
Day Two:
Rhetorical Analysis
Rhetorical Situation
The Psychology of Decision-Making
Multiple Choice Analysis Passages
2025 Rhetorical Analysis
Prompt Text Connections and Rhetorical Writing Strategies
AP Daily and AP Classroom
Unit and Lesson Planning
Day Three:
Argument Multiple Choice
Composition Passages 2025
Argument Prompt Assessments, Grading, Reflection
Text Connections and Rhetorical
Reading Strategies
Unit and Lesson Planning
Day Four:
Synthesis and Research Writing
2025 Synthesis
Prompt Media Literacy and Online
Reasoning
Share Out: best practices for scaffolding, student discussions, small groups, data-gathering, and writing conferences
Share Out: unit and lesson planning
This institute is designed for both new and experienced AP Language and Composition teachers to come together as a community of learners and enhance their teaching practices, discover new resources, and engage in activities to help plan, instruct, and manage the AP Lang course. Participants will explore the CED, review and discuss scored student writing samples from the 2025 digital exam, and learn how to skillfully navigate AP Classroom for its formative assessments and targeted practice. Over the course of the week, participants will also gain insight into diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as best practices for teaching critical thinking and close-reading skills through varied texts that bring the world into the classroom and make this course matter, at a deep level, for students. Participants will also learn how to choose texts and authors while creating or tailoring syllabi to prepare students for success on the AP Exam and in college-level writing. Particular attention will be paid to designing flexible collaborative groups and routines in the classroom to encourage discussion and reflective practices all year long, as well as how to provide multiple reading and writing opportunities for students while staying on top of grading. Finally, we will share best practices for teaching and scaffolding rhetorical analysis, synthesis, and argument. Participants will receive full sets of sample student essays from the 2025 exam. Participants, bring a laptop and ensure you have access to your school calendar for the 2025-26 school year.
AGENDA
Day One:
Overview and Groundwork
Overview of the Course and Exam Description (CED) and AP Language Course
Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Access
The Foundations of Rhetoric Course and Syllabus Design
Classroom Organization
Unit and Lesson Planning
Day Two:
Rhetorical Analysis
Rhetorical Situation
The Psychology of Decision-Making
Multiple Choice Analysis Passages
2025 Rhetorical Analysis
Prompt Text Connections and Rhetorical Writing Strategies
AP Daily and AP Classroom
Unit and Lesson Planning
Day Three:
Argument Multiple Choice
Composition Passages 2025
Argument Prompt Assessments, Grading, Reflection
Text Connections and Rhetorical
Reading Strategies
Unit and Lesson Planning
Day Four:
Synthesis and Research Writing
2025 Synthesis
Prompt Media Literacy and Online
Reasoning
Share Out: best practices for scaffolding, student discussions, small groups, data-gathering, and writing conferences
Share Out: unit and lesson planning