No other classroom in the school greets you with a life-sized cockroach when you walk through the door except room, or “castle,” 409, home to Ms. In Sim, teacher of AP Literature. The experience of AP Lit at Woodgrove ultimately starts with the teacher, whose infectious personality brings endless energy to the potentially monotonous classroom setting. The works of Shakespeare and Charlotte Brontë may be intriguing to some students, but it takes an instructor to make the content applicable and meaningful.
Sim begins by assigning her students characters in the books or plays, instantly making for a more interactive experience. After having Sim for both English 10 Honors and AP Lit, senior Robby Creighton grew to enjoy the character assignments. “When she makes the kids in the class a character, that’s very engaging, because it makes everything she says way funnier and it helps me to pay attention,” explained Creighton. Senior Jonah Jimeno agreed, saying, “I think it’s probably the most effective way to get people engaged, because it really brings the book to life.” The class is immersed in the literature through students reading the lines of the character assigned to them. With the interactive lessons and bustling environment, “no matter where you’re sitting, the lesson is very interactive; it’s honestly kind of hard to not pay attention,” commented Creighton.
From these character assignments, the tea parties were born. Having transpired across multiple schools, Sim’s tea parties offer the opportunity for students to learn in an unconventional way. “It’s not every day you see your English teacher hosting a tea party. Sim truly goes all out for her outfit and everything,” remarked senior Ele Winner. The goal of these tea parties is to make literature come to life. These extravagant events are complete with various dishes, decorations, music, activities, and performances. The students decide whether the characters will be engaging in a funeral or a wedding. Then, a chosen ‘host’ orchestrates the details, from making a spreadsheet of what everyone is bringing to creating an invitation to be handed out to the class.
Students who have her for multiple years are able to experience the event from multiple perspectives. Jimeno got married as Macbeth in 10th grade and is now hosting his tea party as a senior. “I think it’s like a full circle moment, honestly. It’s really cool to now help another person become the main character now that Ms. Sim trusts me to host,” observed Jimeno. The tea parties are truly a crucial part of the AP Lit experience because they are something everyone gets to enjoy after working for months to read and study the text. “That’s the one thing people really look forward to and what people love about her class. It brings everyone together and it’s so much fun,” stated Winner.
Another one of the quintessential parts of the class is the final project, AP Lit Live, which are Saturday Night Live-style skits that use characters from the pieces they have read. Students must come up with unique skits and dress up as characters. From Mr. Darcy in Jane Austens’ “Pride and Prejudice” to the love-struck Ophelia from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” students truly go all out with the costumes and creativity. Since it takes a lot of time out of class to prepare these projects, it is a great opportunity for students to get to know their classmates and further their learning. “While I already had a good understanding of the content, it did help strengthen the bonds among classmates, especially after completing our AP Lit Live skits,” remarked alumna Celia Hart.
Even through all the fun and chaos, the class manages to help students prepare for the world after high school. “From 10th grade to senior year, Ms. Sim made me much more confident in my intellect and my own skin. I owe a lot of my college skills to her,” reported Hart. It also has taught students valuable lessons, one being “to step up, lead and to not be scared to speak up during class,” remarked Jimeno. Sim’s AP Lit, full of laughter, reading, parties, and bonding classmates, renders memories that will last a lifetime.