My AP class is a joke. But it's not a funny one. I shouldn't have to stop all work so that they get their personal statements for college done now should I? Did MY AP teacher do that for me? Hell no, I had college applications due on top of all the regular school work that was a typical part of a high school education. Around here, we're supposed to jump for joy if a child turns in an assignment consisting of a paragraph. Of the originial 25 kids, my AP class now consists of 8 students. The rest dropped out. I've barely required work. We've read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Pride and Prejudice, and we are now starting Hamlet. This, I think, would be a NORMAL reading pace for a non-inner city school. But of course, that is not what it is. These kids are used to four books a year, never taking any reading home, never doing homework and getting A's if they write so much as a paragraph. I am asking for five page double spaced times new roman 12 point papers. But I've only asked for two of them. And I've stopped asking anyway because I realize that at the end of the day, I care more that they get into college. But will they be able to handle it? It is going to be such a major adjustment for these guys. They are tough though and they are motivated. Which is why I am doing ten lessons on how to write a kickin' personal draft and workshopping the entire classes first drafts. Most applications are due Dec 2, so we'll get serious after that. I hope. They still have weekly vocab quizzes so that's something isn't it? Did I mention that their P&P rough drafts were due last Wednesday and I got 4 out of 8 and two totally incompletes? This would not work in college unless the course was taught by a sucker TA with a penchant for extention granting. I didn't put up with any of that shit when I taught at Boricua and that was community college. Maybe I should get my PHD so I can be treated better.