So why haven’t I heard anything from my students yet?
Is it because they’re upset with the results and don’t want to express their anger? Is it because they’re embarrassed and think I’m disappointed? Or is it just because it’s summer?
Before I left for my vacation, I texted one of my students to let me know when he received his results. He said he would. Then just a few days ago, I got a text from another student who had a question about college. No mention of her AP test results.
It’s very strange, especially because my students and I communicated daily during the school year.
I’m not sure what my next steps should be.
Should I maintain the silence and wait? Should I reach out to students individually? Or should I just forget about everything?
Please let me know what you think!
Update: A loyal reader tweeted, “What would you want your teacher to do, for you, in a similar circumstance?” What a perfect question. This led me today to start reaching out to students, one by one, by text.
So far I’ve texted six and heard back from three. They’re disappointed, sure, but not overly so, and they don’t harbor resentment or frustration. Instead, they enjoyed hearing from me and were excited to talk about college.
Most important, my students understand that the AP test is just one opportunity of many. One student wrote, “I was (disappointed) and I know you were too. I will not let a test define me!”