Coach Hall Writes

08/23/2026

I might have found a new favorite brand of pens. I love color-coding my notes and to-do lists, so the fact that each pen has two colors comes in handy.

https://amzn.to/4hKnV56

08/19/2026

If you're teaching AP Lang for the first time this year...

Welcome. 🧡

It's one of my favorite classes to teach, but it can also feel overwhelming.

When I started, I thought I needed to:
❌ Teach every rhetorical device.
❌ Grade every assignment in detail.
❌ Stick perfectly to every lesson I planned in August.

Now I know better.

Over the years, I've learned that some of the biggest improvements happen when we simplify.

Students don't need us to cover everything. They need us to help them think more deeply, write more confidently, and understand what actually earns points.

In my new YouTube video, I dive much deeper into these lessons and share practical strategies that have transformed the way I teach AP Lang.

Whether you're a first-year teacher or simply looking to refine your course, I hope it encourages you.

📺 Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smaHHfnGCfk

💬 Veteran AP Lang teachers: What's one thing you wish you had known your first year? Let's help the next generation of teachers in the comments!

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📩 Share with your AP Lang friends
🔔 Subscribe & follow for more AP Lang exam prep + writing strategies.

08/06/2026

Sharing in case these slides help anyone else: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tmJ7QD83hHYF4jjPCb8SxGPAIw1HiLh7WZu6yIyG1z8/edit?usp=sharing

Sorry they aren't editable. Feel free to make your own version if you'd like to rephrase anything.

Here's a doc with questions too. I often ask these questions during lessons, and back in 2020, my students asked me to write them all down 🤣 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vU_uhBnzg1DzQ5Ny3UB37HjhP-5rTGwTNr8UqnWRdbE/edit?usp=sharing

07/22/2026

If you’ve ever introduced a factors synthesis prompt and immediately been met with confused faces... you’re not alone.

One of the biggest hurdles for AP Lang students isn’t writing the essay. It’s figuring out what the prompt is actually asking in the first place.

That’s exactly why I created this FREE Factors Synthesis Introduction Activity.

Instead of jumping straight into an essay, this resource helps students slow down and think through the prompt by practicing how to:

✔️ Identify the stakeholder
✔️ Clarify the issue
✔️ Brainstorm possible factors
✔️ Decide which factors deserve the most emphasis
✔️ Build a logical line of reasoning before they ever start writing

I love using this activity at the beginning of a synthesis unit because it gives students a framework they can continue using throughout the year.

Inside the free download, you’ll get:
📄 Guided practice
📄 Independent practice
📄 Ranking activities to strengthen line of reasoning
📄 Teacher notes + answer key

Whether you’re introducing factors synthesis for the first time or reviewing before the AP Lang exam, I hope this resource saves you some planning time AND helps your students feel more confident.

📥 Download it FREE from my Teachers Pay Teachers store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Factors-Synthesis-Activity-16961539

If you find it helpful, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a review. It helps other AP Lang teachers discover the resource and supports the creation of future free and paid materials.

💾 Save this for your next synthesis unit.
📩 Share it with another AP Lang teacher.
🔔 Follow my TPT store so you never miss new resources!

07/09/2026

Check out this new FREE resource to introduce factors synthesis prompts in AP Lang:

Help your AP English Language students confidently approach factors synthesis prompts with this FREE prewriting activity!Many students struggle to identify what a "factors" prompt is really asking. Instead of jumping straight into writing, this guided activity helps students identify the stakeholder...

06/03/2026

Taking AP Lang next year? Here’s your reminder that “studying” for AP Lang doesn’t have to mean sitting at a desk all summer. ☀️

A lot of AP Lang success comes from building:
🧠 Background knowledge
🧠 Reading stamina
🧠 Critical thinking skills
🧠 Awareness of rhetoric, argument, and current issues

That’s why these are the best ways to build your skills for AP Lang.

The students who tend to feel most confident in AP Lang are often the ones who regularly engage with ideas, arguments, and real-world conversations.

And no, you do NOT need to spend your whole summer prepping… a little consistency goes a long way!

✨ Bonus tip:
The more background knowledge you build, the easier Q3 becomes.

💾 Save this post for summer prep
📩 Share with a future AP Lang student
👯 Tag a friend taking AP Lang next year

05/08/2026

Most students go into the AP Lang exam thinking they’ll simply “try their best”....

And while that’s (of course) a great thing to do, let’s level it up and make your exact GAME PLAN for the big day!

Because if you’re taking the 2026 AP Lang Exam, strategy matters just as much as skill.

Check out my new YouTube video where I walk you through how to create a personalized AP Lang game plan so you can go into the exam with both confidence and clarity.

📺 Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3wtVq87Wjs

It’s time to play to your skill strengths and maximize those points! 🚀

Students, do you want my help creating your game plan? I’ll be hosting a workshop on Outschool on May 9th. Sign up here: https://outschool.com/classes/create-your-ap-lang-exam-game-plan-X4Jjz3Ff?usid=y7oz3qka&signup=true&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=educator_share_activity_link

05/06/2026

One of the biggest struggles with the AP Lang argument essay (Q3)?

👉 Confidence in what to write about.

So that’s why I created the “Q3 Database” assignment.

Instead of cramming new information, they:

Pull from what they already know (history, reading, pop culture, etc.)
Practice summarizing it clearly
Connect it to common argument topics (justice, identity, resilience, power…)

Are they guaranteed to use these examples on exam day? Nope! But it gives them something to start from.

I break down exactly how this assignment works (and how to use it effectively) in my YouTube short.

📺 Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zacF8TcmSlA

I’ve also linked the original “docs” version of this assignment for reference: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10ty_Icz5u49wp9J5Js1T322ShEqBkflVE6prLqNC8Jo/copy

In practice, I’ve found that shifting to a one-example-per-slide format improves both student clarity and grading efficiency. While I don’t have a slides template available, the docs version translates easily if you’d like to do it that way.

Also note: In the video, I mention the summary and keywords, but forgot to say that they write commentary too.

💾 Save this for review.
📩 Share with your AP Lang friends
🔔 Subscribe & follow for more AP Lang exam prep + writing strategies.

05/05/2026

One of the major problems I see when scoring AP Lang synthesis essays is that the student summarizes the sources, instead of creating a “conversation” of sources.

Strong writers connect sources meaningfully to support their claim.

This builds a powerful argument, instead of a disjointed essay.

Not sure where to start with this? I created a YouTube video walking through what this looks like, why it matters, and strategies to use in your essay.

📺 Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlCDXIu0ghU

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📩 Share with your AP Lang friends
🔔 Subscribe & follow for more AP Lang exam prep + writing strategies.

05/04/2026

So what makes a synthesis thesis statement strong???

Your thesis should:

✨ Assert a clear position
✨ Is defensible with evidence
✨ Matches the prompt type (hint: factors ≠ role)

For a breakdown of how to write a defensible thesis step-by-step + examples, visit my YouTube video.

📺 Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BESrTtxC6kM

💾 Save this for review.
📩 Share with your AP Lang friends
🔔 Subscribe & follow for more AP Lang exam prep + writing strategies.