AP Psychology pushes students to move beyond the classroom
AP psychology is arguably one of Miramonte’s most popular senior classes.
Whether it’s writing a psychoanalysis essay about a random person in class, looking into a celebrity’s brain or engaging in a sleep lab for states of consciousness, the class is always interactive.
Allie Tarantino, one of Miramonte’s two AP psychology teachers, said she finds the time to make it engaging by offloading some of the foundational content to students’ independent work.
“These strategies allow students to cover essential material at home, so that in class we can quickly review, dive deeper into more complex concepts, and spend more time on interactive, hands-on activities that reinforce their learning,” said Tarantino.
Tarantino assigns textbook readings and records lectures for homework to leave room for activities that concentrate on other important material.
For example, a project students love the most is the flour baby project.
Students create a 10-pound flour baby and carry it around everywhere for a week. This project helps students understand the responsibilities of caring for a child and building empathy.
Most importantly, students learn how neglect, inconsistency, or lack of attention could affect child development later in life.
Andy Su, an AP psychology student, enjoys how Tarantino formats the class.
“Ms. Tarantino understands that interactive sessions require students to apply concepts instead of just repeating them,” he said.
The class’s first major project was collecting data on a stranger at school. Students considered body language, style of speaking, emotional levels and overall behavior to make inferences about character. For example, if a test subject talks loudly around their friends, the conclusion might be that the subject is happier in that situation.
Collecting data is a fundamental part of science, and although keeping a close eye on a peer might seem like stalking, it’s teaching students to interpret behavior and understand how psychologists consider how biological, emotional and social factors contribute to mental health conditions.
Su said his peers enjoy the class because students like learning about how psychology is intertwined with daily life. “Students are interested in learning more about how psychology connects to mental health and how we can support one another,” he said.
Su isn’t the only one who believes the class is popular because it focuses on students – Tarantino is convinced of it too.
“Gaining an understanding of these ideas can deeply shape how we interact with others and how we see the world around us,” said Tarantino. Students connect concepts like cognitive biases, social influence and human development to their own lives.
Tarantino hopes students leave this course with a stronger sense of empathy, curiosity and a thoughtful skepticism toward the information they encounter in everyday life
“Gaining an understanding of these ideas can deeply shape how we interact with others and how we see the world around us,” said Tarantino. “I hope this class helps students grow into more thoughtful, compassionate and psychologically informed thinkers.”
