As students count down the days until summer, others are preparing for the challenge of upcoming AP exams. CHS students predominantly dance the same routine when it comes to this time of year, but one different component is the new AP World History teacher. Erin Dillon, who has taught at CHS for 10 years, picked up the class as a new challenge. What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation than to reflect on the demanding endurance and preparation of the AP year?
“The preparation for this class was very different because I didn't have anything to reference or go off of,” Dillion said. “I learned everything from scratch, which was really helpful and informative in my planning process because I got to do everything that I thought was best, while also learning the information as I went along. Because the AP curriculum is much more in-depth, I feel like it was much more planned and intentional about short and long-term goals.”
Although the class was a new challenge for Dillon, she could still rely on the familiarity of her environment. She got to experience an exciting challenge while still staying at the school she's taught at for multiple years.
“This is my 10th year at Chelsea,” Dillon said. “Previously, I taught US classes, and I also have taught world history classes in the past. Then the previous teacher who was in this role retired, and I just thought it was a really good opportunity for me to push myself professionally and step into something that might be uncomfortable, so that I can put myself in a difficult position while also growing. So to me, it was just an opportunity where I could grow professionally and really just get reinvested in this profession overall.”
Dillon dove into the position and didn't look back. She dedicated lots of time and focus to plan a class that prepares students for their first taste of an AP classroom, as well as making every class day important and valuable with less time students have for the exam compared to an on-level class. The class is only a few weeks away from the final exam, and Dillon’s overall review of the year was pretty optimistic.
“[This year] was really informative. It was really successful in a lot of ways. And there are ways that I can always improve. But I had a lot of fun teaching. It was really fun to get to know different students and teach a different grade level. So overall, it was such a positive experience, and one that I'm looking forward to continuing next year,” Dillon said.
As the year progressed, the work had to change and adapt with the students. Dillon kept the simulations and posters that stuck and altered other assignments to best fit the needs of the class. The class continued to have in-depth notes and a fast-paced curriculum, but Dillion adjusted and made changes as she saw fit.
“ The beginning of the year was very much trial and error, like trying to test and see what works, what didn't work, and seeing how students were learning best,” Dillon said. “Midway through the year, I started to get a better grasp of what was more successful than other things. So we started to expand on the things that were more successful and refine or change the things that were not.”
A highlight in any year of teaching is the students, and whether AP or not, Dillon enjoys watching her students expand upon their knowledge and develop not only as learners, but also as people.
“Every day there's something memorable, something that makes me happy, when I go home and reflect on my day,” Dillon said. “ Just getting to know students is always something that's memorable for
me. doing the fun activities and seeing [students] up out of their seats, interacting with each other. Any opportunity where it's non-traditional learning was always a favorite memory, but ultimately it's just seeing the growth from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. That's the most memorable thing for me, seeing where we started to where we're going to finish. I'm just really proud of everyone's individual growth.”
