MAPS Teacher and School Information
The MAPS program is committed to serving teachers, schools and students. Without the support of teachers and schools, there would be no program. Participating in MAPS connects teachers and students to committed professionals in industry who can help link course material to future careers.
- What is the time commitment for teachers in MAPS?
- What MAPS activities do teachers participate in?
- When do mentors typically meet with MAPS students?
- What exactly do mentors do with students?
- What subjects is the MAPS program serving?
- What skills and experience do mentors have?
- What are the benefits of participating in MAPS?
- What is the program timeline?
- Is MAPS right for you?
What is the time commitment for teachers in MAPS?
The total time commitment for MAPS teachers is approximately 20 hours. This time is spent:
- Promoting MAPS and recruiting students to participate in the program in September
- Attending MAPS program meetings two to four times per year
- Distributing and collecting MAPS student surveys twice a year
- Attending, if possible, occasional special events
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What MAPS activities do teachers participate in?
- Promote MAPS and collect student applications
- Work with mentor to kick off program
- Share course syllabus and textbooks with mentor
- Maintain ongoing contact with mentors about AP® curriculum and coursework, and to support them as they develop relationships with students.
- Support the development of the program, including data collection efforts such as student surveys, etc.
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When do mentors typically meet with MAPS students?
Teachers help set up and facilitate the first meetings, but are not required to attend all mentoring sessions.
After the first introductory meeting, mentors work with students to set up a regular time that works well for everyone. Some mentors meet early in the morning before work and school, some meet in the evening. Some mentors along with MAPS teachers coordinate special Saturday study sessions, or make arrangements to meet with interested MAPS students in the evening to attend other activities related to the AP® class. Each group determines what works best for them.
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What exactly do mentors do with students?
MAPS mentors focus on providing activities that tutor, challenge and mentor the students. Here are some examples of past MAPS activities:
Tutoring:
- Answering student’s homework questions
- Emailing additional problem sets for students to review and practice for AP® Exam(s)
- Helping students identify areas in which they need to focus their study
- Reviewing practice AP® Exam(s)
Challenging:
- Setting-up an in-depth exploration project with students. For example, a mentor developed an ongoing exploration of calculus in nanotechnology
- Bringing additional hands-on experiments and activities for students to work on. For example, a mentor brought in a chemistry experiment that involved making a liquid with magnetic properties.
- Sharing current work projects that relate to topics covered in AP®
- Linking current events to AP® subject matter
Mentoring:
- Developing relationships with students
- Connecting students with professionals working in their field of interest
- Discussing college applications and decisions with students, or even writing a college letter of recommendation
- Hosting a company tour
- Sharing information about various occupations in your field
- Taking students out for a lecture and pizza
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What subjects is the MAPS program serving?
The MAPS program is currently focused on the following AP® subjects:
- Calculus
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Physics
- Statistics
- English Language and Composition
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What skills and experience do mentors have?
Mentors have a desire to share their expertise with high school students, a mastery of the subject in which they intend to mentor, and the support of their organization. They typically do not have teaching or mentoring experience. Mentors must pass a criminal background check for the school district in which they will be mentoring before being allowed to spend time alone with students.
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What are the benefits for participating in MAPS?
Benefits to teachers:
- Opportunity to network with industry professionals
- Support of the mentor they work with who can help reach out to struggling students, or help excelling students further their understanding of the content.
Benefits to students:
- Extra tutoring for students who are struggling
- Deepen understanding of content for excelling students
- Chance to explore careers using AP® subject content
- Make material come alive
- Begin building a network that can help with future college applications and career.
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Timeline
- April:
- Commit to program
- May:
- MAPS program orientation, teacher matched with mentor
- September:
- Mentor meets AP® class, students recruited, and mentoring begins!
- MAPS mentor-teacher training
- September-May:
- Mentor meets with students for two to four hours per month
- May:
- End of year event
Occasional additional MAPS meetings or special events
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Is MAPS right for you?
If you are interested in working with an industry professional, helping your students learn the daily applications of the course material and committed to spending time to promote and facilitate the success of the MAPS program, MAPS is an option for you.
For more information:
Address: P.O. Box 2338, Vancouver, WA 98668
Email: info@apmentoring.org
Phone: (360) 718-1603
