AP Course:

AP PRECALCULUS

CONSULTANT: Paul Gruber

After 30+ years in education, Paul Gruber  still has a love for teaching and has a blast with his students.  His classroom is mixture of  constant work, lots of movement,  vertical learning and  kids always laughing. To that end, he enjoys doing APSI workshops in Calculus (and now PreCalculus) while meeting many wonderful people.

Though newly retired as of June 2023, when giving this workshop, for nearly his entire career, because of his belief in equity, he has taught in urban districts.   For twenty plus years he taught at Elizabeth HS in Elizabeth, NJ.    Several years ago, EHS had only a handful of students take AP Calculus, annually.   One year, no one signed up for the class - the principal was bothered by this and asked the top students what would it take for them to take AP Calc.  They said, "If Mr. G teaches it, we'll take it".  The first year, twelve students signed up.   Within ten years, the program has grown to 150+ students taking AP CalculusAB and BC .  Now his mission is to get as many people as possible to take AP PreCalculus.  Paul has also worked as a Math Supervisor and has taught in NYC for ten years. 

As for presentations he does not only present the Calculus/PreCalculus, but he believes in creating better teachers.     To that end, he inculcates much of what he knows on Brain-Based Learning and in the importance of changing a paradigm through the proper uses of transfer, discovery learning, primacy-recency theory,   vertical learning, cooperative learning, and closure,  In this workshop, he will share the C.E.D.,  a variety of kinesthetic activities, develop difficult concepts in “baby steps”,  will do specific AP questions while reviewing the grading process, and discussing equity.  

Paul has been a teacher for 30+ years, grader of AP Calculus exams for ten years and an APSI facilitator for eight.   Paul  earned a BBA from Baruch College, an MA in Math Education from CCNY-NY and was a EdD Candidate at Columbia University / Teachers College in Math Education.  Paul is married for over 38 years, has three children , two grandchildren and a passion for baseball.   As a fun fact, between his freshman and sophomore year in college, in 1976, he traveled and worked with the elephants of  Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

If anyone has any questions of what you want, you are welcome to email Paul directly at P_Gruber@yahoo.com.

Course Description:

During this AP PreCalculus APSI you will have in-depth exposure to the new AP PreCalculus course content, according to the College Board Course and Exam Description (CED).

Time will be allotted to explore what’s in the new course framework, along with what’s not in the framework, as we delve into the mathematical practices required for student success. Along with learning about the course framework, you will receive specifics about the AP exam design and scoring process.

We will explore aspects of AP Classroom including the digital activation process for both teachers and students, Classroom’s capabilities for formative and summative assessment, and avenues for teachers to engage as members in the AP community.

Along with the CED, supplemental materials will be presented that may enhance your current learning resources to better align with the new course framework. Recommendations regarding pacing and instructional strategies will also be provided.