Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! I’d especially like to welcome the Advanced Placement Psychology students and their parents. I’ll explain more about this class shortly.

This is my sixth year teaching A.P. Psychology. Before that, I was a grade-level counselor in the Counseling Office, an English teacher, and an elementary school teacher. I’ve taught nearly all grade levels from kindergarten to twelfth grade. I’ve been at Eagle Rock High School for over 20 years, and have been in the district for 23 years. All the while, I’ve coached the tennis team at ERHS.

I also had the honor of attending ERHS, starting in 1983. I was in the first magnet class here, before graduating six years later. I work with the Eagle Rock High School Alumni Association to attract new members, award scholarships to qualified seniors, and honor community and staff members who have contributed to our school and its students in a positive way. If you are an alumnus or know someone who is, please think about becoming a member of the Alumni Association. It’s a non-profit, all-volunteer organization whose mission is to help the school and the students, including the arts and sports programs. Please take a moment and go to http://www.erhsalum.com/ and perhaps make a donation to help the graduates of the Class of 2018.

AP Psychology is a high-interest class for honors, magnet, and high-achieving students only. It is not an easy class, contrary to what many have heard. To do well in the class and pass the A.P. test in May, students must know how to study, and do so every night for at least 30 minutes. We do a lot of the “heavy-lifting” in class, but without follow up at home, there is no chance a student can earn a high grade. Due to the emphasis on vocabulary, the repetition at home is crucial.

The A.P. class is largely lecture because of the vast amount of material we need to cover by the beginning of May. Students are expected to know the material from the day before and will be tested nearly every day with a 1-question quiz that is all-or-nothing credit. On test day, the tests will be longer and there will be a writing portion. All terms from the chapter (between 40 and 70) need to be written or typed onto lined paper (in their composition book) or on flash cards. Studying and working on terms is the only homework, but it important work that needs to done daily. Please feel free to ask me if you have any questions or concerns. My email is ejacob1@lausd.net. Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting you soon in class.