Students shout and laugh during a round of Blooket, or sip tea and recite poetry. In another class they roleplay as an Enlightenment philosopher.
These snapshots of different classrooms in New Hartford may sound intriguing, but where specifically can they be found?
Everyone knows the four core subjects – math, science, English, and social studies. In addition to this, there are language classes, physical education and other electives. However, each teacher handles their class in a unique way to provide the best learning experience for their students.
I am a current sophomore, and these are some of my favorite courses that I took this school year.
Madame Arbogast teaches French at the high school. Currently, she teaches French 3, 4, and AP. She strives to make the French classroom a fun and engaging learning environment. When asked where she gets her inspiration, Madame said, “I am very fortunate to work with the same group of students over multiple years which allows me to get to know them… Helping students learn about French and life in general is the most rewarding experience. My students are the whole reason I am a French teacher.”
The French classroom is a fun environment where students get to take a breath from their difficult courses and interact with their classmates more.
Lillian Brady, a current French 4 student, says that Madame Arbogast “manages to make French work fun by integrating in-class games as well as Blookets to help students learn.” The games played in French class are definitely a highlight, and can get competitive at some points.
Madame herself believes that the connections that are built between students during the progressive years of French are also a fun aspect.
“Working together in smaller class settings allows students to create friendships that follow them through AP and beyond,” Madame Arbogast said.. She recalled a time where previous AP students who had graduated recently had gotten together during winter break to have a “AP French Reunion.”
However, an uphill battle that is faced by French teachers is trying to convince students to take French courses beyond their sophomore year. Although some students may drop French as a class after French 3, there are many benefits to continue on through AP.
Madame says, “You develop a deeper understanding of other cultures while strengthening your French skills. You are able to do more advanced activities such as having debates and conducting a full court trial in French.” In addition to this, by completing AP French, it can earn you free college credits as some majors at different colleges require a certain number of years of a language.
When making their schedules, students have the option of choosing English 10 or English 10 Honors. Mr. Williams would ask these questions if a student was on the fence between taking regular English or Honors: “ I would ask if they like to read and write, if they plan on completing every assignment with good effort, and if they are ready to be held to a high standard.”
In English 10 Honors, many different and rich texts are read and discussed in great detail. Some classics include Lord of the Flies and “Metamorphosis.” In order for class to run smoothly and to ensure everyone has a proper understanding of each book, it is essential that each student keeps up with the reading. The class is structured on student-led discussions, where they try to uncover key areas, developments, concepts, motifs, or emerging themes.
The teachers of English 10 Honors, Mr. Williams and Ms. Nugent, act as guides, lighting the path in these discussions to “nudge” students in the direction. However, it is primarily on the students to dissect the book and its meaning.
“I also like to ask open-ended questions to get students talking so they can make sense of the text rather than me just pointing out what I want them to see,”Mr. Williams said.
Since the class is structured around in-class discussions, some shy students may feel uncomfortable in certain situations. By writing out their thoughts or ideas beforehand, they can possibly overcome this as they can just read from what they have in their notebooks. Mr. Williams also suggests, “They could also try to ask a question each day to get other students to respond; that way they are generating discussion but the attention is not on them personally”.
Due to the student-led nature of the class, sometimes the conversations can become more abstract and interesting. This is what can make the class more fun. From my own experience, I remember that when we were talking about “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” the conversation included thoughts on plastic surgery. Since the main character changed his appearance, we discussed how people in the present use plastic surgery as a means of doing the same, even though it may be for different reasons.
However, what makes the class more appealing is its low-stress environment. It is a rather laid-back class, where students are free to share their own thoughts and ideas pertaining (somewhat) to the text. Mr. Williams usually shares a couple of anecdotal stories each class, and sometimes students jump into a conversation with him regarding that. One class was spent on making tea, and reciting personal pieces of poetry.
The dynamics of each class also contribute to how each class runs.
“ The dynamics are always different as each unique combination of students is new and exciting.” Mr. Williams said. It is never the same class over and over again for me and so the material stays fresh.”
Advanced Placement courses are offered at New Hartford, which provide an even more rigorous curriculum than Honors classes, which result in a standardized AP test in May.
Mr. Prokosch is a Global II teacher as well as the only teacher covering AP European History. He seriously became interested in European history in high school, which led him to study abroad in Europe and receive his Master’s in European history from St. Andrews in Scotland.
The main difference between Global II and AP Euro (besides the content) is that AP requires more accountability and expectations on the student. Mr. Prokosch said that his AP Euro class “ requires more independent work and learning from students,”whether it be from completing chapter study guides on time, or by taking notes on Edpuzzles assigned outside of class.
AP Euro is structured in a rather unique way, different from other classes that sophomores may have. Mr. Prokosch usually starts off the class with some sort of lead or interesting event. Then, it shifts primarily into a lecture, where students take notes off of what he says. The class feels somewhat like a college course due to its lecture-oriented nature. However, he makes sure that each lecture isn’t a drag by allowing students to chime in with their own thoughts and by getting students to connect what is being taught to current events and topics.
The notes that each student receives are extremely important and comprehensive. They include the slides that Mr. Prokosch covers in-class, as well as important snippets of readings that can help students understand the context of what they are learning, or explain events more in-depth.
“ I am particularly proud of the notes that my predecessor and I created over the years as they are highly detailed but accessible to sophomores,” Mr. Prokosch said .
Though it is a rather heavy course in terms of work, there are quite a few fun aspects of it. Megha Athmakuri, a current sophomore taking AP Euro, had said that a highlight of the class was “punching Mr. Prokosch with a boxing glove.” Of course, this was relevant to the topic of the lecture. My personal favorite part of the class was when we had to act as different Enlightenment figures, and argued on several controversial topics during that time.
These three classes are just some of the many courses that are offered at New Hartford Senior High. Other similar classes may run differently as there may be a different instructor. But, these are just some sneak peaks of what can be found within the classrooms here, and can help you decide what you may want to include in your schedule for next year!
