After 30+ years of teaching AP Calculus, it’s hard to believe that the only Advanced Placement course I taught in 2023 was AP Statistics. The reason for this is that in August 2022, when our high school switched to a 4×4 block schedule, and our middle school switched to an A/B alternating block schedule, it became impossible for me to teach 8th grade Algebra I. Teaching 8th grade Algebra I had been a terrific run, one I did not request but that was assigned to me 10 years prior in 2012 by our then superintendent. I gave up Precalculus and had the opportunity to teach 10 years worth of outstanding middle schoolers, my own children included. Of course I kept AP Calculus and High School Algebra I. 

Instead of being sad about missing my middle schoolers, I turned my efforts to something I had wanted to do for years: teach AP Statistics! I knew this would be the perfect time to make the change. I had no idea that the way the blocks would work out I would not teach* AP Calculus for an entire year. In January 2023, I taught 9 students at breakneck speed, and then in August 2023 another 11 students, again at breakneck speed. The first group slammed right into the AP Statistics exam in May 2023 and did extremely well on it, the second group will have to take the time to prepare (under my guidance, if they show up, or, on their own) in April for the May 2024 exam. Hopefully their results will be similar, but I suspect there will be a difference so of course I have collected data and plan to do a mu diff statistical inference procedure comparing their mock exam to their actual exam score. [CollegeBoard take note! Would love to have a December/January test date for students on a 4×4 block schedule!]

What Did I Gain From Teaching AP Statistics?

1. I reviewed all of my statistical knowledge I had lost over the past 30+ years. I will probably never forget it now and will be able to recall lots of stuff for decades to come. 
2. Chillax, it’s just stats. The stats people are something else. They are always just 95% confident and use fuzzy phrases like “fairly likely” and “it appears to be”. They drink tea with honey, not black coffee. There are more things that differentiate them from the calculus wonks, but I will limit myself to the tea and coffee analogy. 
3. New Friends! I immediately contacted Luke Wilcox, one of several AP Stats gurus and he welcomed me into their fold and helped me whenever I reached out. If you don’t know what he and several colleagues have built up in Michigan, you need to check out The Medics. I plan to bring some of their community building ideas into AP Calculus, so stay tuned. 

It’s time to wave goodbye to AP Stats (until we review for the exam in April) and turn my attention to AP Calculus. I am a little nervous but also very excited to get back to something I know inside and out. This doesn’t mean I will be on cruise control starting in January 2024, for I am well aware that my students’ calculus knowledge will begin at cosine(pi/2). It will be a lot of work on everyone’s parts, but I am ready for it! 

Bye Bye 2023. Hello 2024. 

*Operative word being teach here. I actually do calculus every day, sometimes for just a few minutes answering a question from a teacher or former student via email, and sometimes for hours at a time depending on what outside projects I am working on.

If you would like to see my other posts about teaching statistics follow these links.

I Spy The Calculus

Explanatory vs Response: Does it Matter?