by Michaela Lamb |

“AP English is definitely challenging, its one of my hardest classes,” senior Renee Kiefer said.

Q: What is your favorite book you have ever read?

A: “That’s a hard one, but if I had to choose my absolute favorite book I would have to say it would be Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. I love the surprise ending and Tess, the main character is developed throughout the story. She’s a very nice person.”

Q: What was your favorite thing you did during college at Oxford in England?

A: “Definitely working on manuscripts in the Bodleian Library. It has a very medieval feel. That’s actually the library that they use in the Harry Potter movies. It’s very fun to be able to say that I’ve been there.”

Q: What degree did you receive?

A: “My degree from Oxford University is in English literature dating before 1500.”

Q: Do you believe that you hold your students to a higher standard than most teachers?

A: “Of course, I teach Latin and AP English Literature and Composition, so I hold all of my students to an AP level. The course work is challenging but my students are capable of it.”

Q: Since you’re tougher on your students, how do you grade them?

A: “I grade my students on what I think of as a college prep grading scale. It is more challenging than a high school grading level but not as intense as a college grading scale.”

“Mrs. Kurtz is traditional- she has very high standards but she also works with her kids and explains things in a lot of different ways so that students can really understand what she’s teaching,” Humanities and AP Literature teacher Karla Schaeffer said.