Trinity High School teacher Louis Majoris has the task of teaching an AP course, AP U.S. History (APUSH), to sophomores. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Majoris has had to adjust his teaching methods and be able to adapt more to students’ needs throughout the pandemic. 

Majoris believes that some students who choose to take APUSH are not aware of the amount of time and effort needed to be put into the class. He says that APUSH is more concept and skill-based as opposed to his college-prep class which is more content-based.

COVID-19 has affected Majoris’s teaching style.  He realized the need to slow down to make sure students are understanding and comprehending the skills he is teaching them by not rushing through the content. 

Majoris believes that he has gone easier on students since the COVID-19 outbreak because students have been struggling in school. He adds that he needed to recognize the effect of COVID-19 on students and their families. He says that it is not the students’ fault and that all students need different types of opportunities. 

“The hardest part of teaching was feeling like you were talking to yourself. You want to feel like you’re having an impact but you need to make sure that students are understanding, but not being able to see faces makes it feel like you’re going through the motions,” says Majoris, when speaking about how teaching was from home. 

Majoris’s favorite part of teaching is hearing from former students who have been impacted by the class. He says that hearing from students who have had trouble means they have learned something. Majoris feels accomplished when students come to him and tell him this. 

APUSH is a very work- and time-demanding course. Majoris spends at least one to two hours each night planning lessons and grading homework and tests. 

Majoris adds at the end of his interview “I hope that students understand that [the class] is challenging but I’m  preparing you for a challenging world.”