What to do with Seniors after the AP Exam: 2024 version

[previously, I wrote about what I do with seniors in THIS BLOG post from May of 2023]

THIS IS IT, the year is officially almost over now that the AP Calculus BC exam is done! What a big sigh of relief and a moment of reflection and relaxation. I already have ideas for things I want to add to my lesson plans for next year, but I’m also trying to take a moment and just enjoy the fact that there is no more careful lesson-planning or grading that needs to be done for my seniors.

Last night, I spent a couple hours putting together the goodie bags for my seniors for their AP exam. I realized I was three gum packs short, so I took my dog for a quick walk at 8pm to the CVS down the street to get more!

I also put together the senior math award for our math department’s senior award for excellent in math. The bag is all set, the card is signed by our whole department, and now I just need to finalize how much cash our winner will get in addition to the physical gift.

The final grades for seniors will be due at the end of next week, but for now, we get to enjoy each other’s company for a few days and recap our past year together.

This year is interesting because the AP exams are a week later than they have been due to how the calendar falls this year. That means we have a week less than normal to do the “final exam” and end of year activities. Another thing that decreases my time with my seniors before their final day of May 24: my daughter’s adenoid removal surgery. I have only missed one day of school this year, so I will be taking three days off in a row next week to be with her during and in the days after the surgery as she heals.

That means that my seniors’ end of year project needed to be more streamlined without needing any days in class. Many of my seniors will still be missing days this week for AP Biology or AP Physics, so that means I only have one or two days with them all together before they leave. We will spend tomorrow debriefing the exam and going over their final project, and we will spend next Thursday going outside for group photos for my senior wall, and then believe it or not, THAT’S IT.

I am doing something different than I’ve ever done before for their final project, which is their “final exam” for the year. I am having them write a reflection letter to a future AP Calculus BC student. They will design a seal/crest/emblem for their letter using polar equations on Desmos.

Then they will write their reflection, covering a list of topics. and end with a photo of themself. HERE is a link to a PDF of the project assignment they are getting tomorrow on their Google Classroom. Their final letter should looking something like this:

To make the project more personal, I am planning on printing them out in color and then sticking one letter in the front cover of every Calculus textbook that I hand out on day one next year. That way every senior next year will have great pearls of wisdom right away. I am looking forward to reading what my seniors create this week!