When I was young, I got hooked on the Choose Your Own Adventure series of books. As the reader, I got to make choices and the plot progressed based on those choices.
As a new AP Statistics teacher, I am trying my best to prepare my students so that they have the chance to reach whatever AP score they find desirable. For the first four weeks, I set a quick pace and assigned a good amount of homework to complement the work done in class. For many, the amount of work proved to be untenable. In response, I started making some of the textbook exercises optional. I explained to the students that by doing the required homework, I believed they were still being sufficiently prepared to earn at least a 3 or even a 4 on the AP exam. The optional exercises would be more important for those who seek the 5.
I have a variety of students in my class. One boy seems in over his head and a 3 will be a great accomplishment. A few students are very ambitious and will likely try for that 5.
And so, I give my students the chance to Choose Their Own Adventure. They can choose to go the easier route, maybe not be prepared for a 5, but still have sufficient preparation to pass the exam. Or, they can select the more demanding option and give themselves a greater chance at a 5. I wonder how many will take the second adventure...
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