As the time for the AP Physics exams approach you all are probably
rushing the finish the material, holding extra sessions on problem
solving, passing out Prozac to your more excitable students and caffeine
to your slugs. ITS TIME TO STOP TAKING THINGS SO SERIOUSLY.
What I do on the day before the AP exam is this. The night before the
day before I purchase a couple of boxes of #2 pencils, preferably
Dixon-Ticonderogas. The day before the exam, in my AP class, I get the
attention of the class (for the first time in two semesters). I place
all the pencils in a box on the demo table. I then place a picture of
Albert (Einstein of course) in the box. I say a few magic words over the
box (Lord's Prayer, Shema, dirty limericks, etc.). I then tell the
students that the spirit and intellect of Einstein is now in the pencils
and that they are to use only these pencils in taking the exam. I then
pass out two pencils to every student taking the exam.
It's hokey but it take a bit of the anxiety away.
--
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep
And I have no more papers in a heap
And in the morning I can sleep
And stroll in those woods so dark and deep.
r. frosted