AP Language and Literature teacher

Emily G.

I hold a masters degree in English and have served as a scorer for AP English Language and Literature, and taught ACT "boot camps." As a high school English teacher, I assisted thousands of students in writing and editing college entrance essays and scholarship essays that perform. I was chosen as Morehead Impact Educator for students at UNC-Chapel Hill.

In essay writing, especially college entry and scholarship preparation, I start by asking students questions about their interests and circumstances. There is no "formula" for the college entrance essay, but in order to write authentically and stand out, students need to create a narrative about something interesting or meaningful in their lives. We write well when we know the subject, and readers mired in scoring hundreds of essays seek an authentic voice.

In coaching for ACT, I explore the structure of the questions. There are ways to make reading the passages more efficient and lots of tips and tricks to logical answers. The answer to the question is always in the passage. Always. The grammar section focuses on the basics (punctuation, agreement, etc.). I like to asses what a student already knows about grammar and punctuation and build on that knowledge. I see no need to waste time on what a student already does well.

Finally, I taught the AP courses for 25 years, and because I served as a reader for ETS for most of those years, I am well-versed in what constitutes a high-scoring response. Multiple choice is complicated, so I provide tips for speed and accuracy. As with the ACT and SAT, the answer is always in the reading. Always. I coach using a variety of prompts, practicing introductions and content on all three types of essays in both courses: Language (General Argument, Synthesis, Rhetorical Analysis) and Literature (Novel, Poetry, Prose) I can also assist with using effective vocabulary in writing and developing student "voice."