Los Alamitos High School AP Physics teacher Mr. Scant stares in bewilderment at the AP Physics exam after taking the test (Photo courtesy of RU Recovery Ministries via Unsplash).

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — Los Alamitos High School teachers were faced with a seemingly insurmountable task this month: taking the nationally administered standardized Advanced Placement test for the classes that they teach. Teachers had to recall an entire school year’s worth of knowledge and sit for over three hours in a test of their knowledge! LAHS staff can testify that, despite years of experience and the resources and support provided by their students, they were hardly prepared for the test itself.

“My students didn’t really communicate how hard the tests would be or how to approach it. I had no idea how I was supposed to even begin studying,” said Mr. Frankenburg, tenured AP Calculus BC teacher, wishing that his students had better prepared him. 

Mr. Frankenburg is just one of many teachers who learned about the different types of questions, pacing, required materials and formatting of the test while testing. Mr. Frankenburg was also shocked to find that so much of his curriculum was not on the test–most of the topics were foreign to him. Part of what makes the role of an AP teacher so hard is the challenge of updating the curriculum from year to year: removing irrelevant information while ensuring that new topics that are guaranteed to appear on the exam are taught during the year. 

“Thankfully, I took the test last year, so I’m coming in with a bit of experience,” said Mrs. Chary. She explained how, on her second go around, she resorted to AP prep books and online study resources like YouTube and Khan Academy. Her students’ work also proved to be helpful in filling in the gaps in her knowledge. 

Teachers also say that they feel betrayed that their students expect them to keep teaching throughout the last month of school after taking the AP test. Their burnout, especially after maintaining this rigorous schedule for years on end, makes it hard to feel motivated and meet their student’s expectations.

“I’m so drained, I just want to relax. What’s even the point of this? It’s not like I’m going to actually teach them anything important,” said LAHS AP Physics teacher Mr. Scant. The teacher of 40 years feels that the AP test is more exhausting for him than students can even begin to imagine, as the fate of his employment rests in their hands– or, rather, their AP exam scores.

In an effort to improve the mental and emotional health of their teachers, students have started self-teaching, understanding that expecting their teachers to understand the intricacies of the subjects they teach may be too unrealistic a request.