Lili Serbicki Reviews
B.B., Student (AP English Language) – May 20, 2024
Hi Mrs. Serbicki, Just want to say thank you for being such a helpful teacher this year. I feel that you really prepared us well for the AP exam and consistently provided useful resources throughout the year. I found the sample essays, practice quizzes and the vocabulary glossary particularly helpful. Everything in the exam went as I expected it would with no surprises thanks to you helping us understand what to expect on exam day.
It was a pleasure to be in your class this year and I am looking forward to seeing you next year in AP literature! Thanks again.
K.B., Student (Creative Writing) – May 7, 2024
I’m not sure if you’ll see my response to the end of the year survey that AIM sent out, but I wanted to thank you personally for such an amazing year. I have always loved to write for as long as I can remember, but Creative Writing has skyrocketed my skills in so many different ways so much more than any other class I’ve taken. I’m incredibly grateful for not just my improvement in writing, but also my improvement in analyzation and even the little bits of insight into the current publishing world that you provide. Also, I’m very excited to take your AP Language class next year (one of my friends had such a glowing opinion of Animal Farm that she made me want to read it, haha), and I can’t wait to continue on!
I just wanted to let you know personally how much this class and your instruction and guidance has meant to me this year. I hope you have a beautiful, restful summer, and I’ll see you again in the fall!
God bless, Kate
P.S., the lineup of books for AP Lit. and Comp. is spectacular! I haven’t read any of them YET but I was so excited to see Frankenstein and Brave New World AND Persuasion all in one class! I hope to take it the year after next if I can (I will be in 11th grade by then). Thank you so much again!!
E. H., Student (World Literature) – May 7, 2024
I wanted to personally email you and thank you for such a wonderful year. This class was very informative, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My favorite part was probably reading literature from all kinds of different backgrounds. It was amazing seeing how much I could take from one single book and apply that to critical thinking and life itself. My other favorite part of this class was getting the chance to present my final project in class. I loved having the option to work on a visual presentation instead of an essay. Out of all of the works of literature we discussed this year, I think my favorite would have to be either Cry, the Beloved Country, The Good Earth, The Death of Ivan Illych, or Antigone, but I’d say Cry, the Beloved Country would possibly be on top. It’s so hard to choose, haha!
Parent (AP English Language) – May 15, 2023
I wanted to thank you so much for the class. I have enjoyed listening to the classes too and, in fact, have been listening for the past couple of weeks while I did the dishes and other things around the house. I was amazed at how well you taught the concepts. Although I didn’t read the source materials or do any writing, I feel I have learned so much just listening…I wish you taught classes for parents too : ). H. is my last child, but I really wish I’d known about your classes for my other kids! Your talents are serving so many! Thank you so much for everything. It was a marvelous class! (My exclamation points are revealing my tone : )
Parent (AP English Language) – May 2, 2023
Great teacher! Organized, clear, supportive, effective. Teacher did a great job and was available to discuss parental concerns as well. Excellent!
Student (AP English Literature) – May 2, 2023
The class covered a lot of different books and gave a lot of resources for the AP test. She picked interesting books that were fun to read.
Parent (Creative Writing) – May 2, 2023
We have taken courses with Lili Serbicki for quite a few years now, and she is an amazing, thorough, clear, encouraging instructor. Highly value everything she offers and brings to her classes and my student(s). I love everything about this class; the group of students was fantastic, the peer feedback was motivating for my student, the instructor is a fantastic communicator and teacher,— there isn’t one single thing that is greatest. I am grateful for this class, and we are sad it is over.
Student (AP English Language) – April 21, 2023
I loved Mrs. Serbicki’s AP Lang class! She is amazing and a teacher who helps everyone ace the prep for the AP Exam! She Is flexible and the subject matter was interesting and varied! The greatest benefit of the teacher/class was that she offered relatively flexible deadlines. When I could not submit my final paper in the fall due to me being sick, she offered a day’s extension! Thank you so much, Mrs. Serbicki! Everything was perfect! Thank you, Aim Administration and Mrs. Serbicki!
Parent (Creative Writing) – April 21, 2023
My son is very happy and is being exposed to a wide variety of writers as well as getting exposure to genres that the state online high school only provides if you are in the honors classes. Clear expectations, dates, weekly contact with teacher, homework schedule.
Student (AP English Language) – April 21, 2023
Very engaging class and an encouraging environment as well as constructive feedback. Extremely encouraging environment that allows constructive feedback. Truly outstanding teaching as well as amazing curriculum.
Parent (AP English Language) – September 27, 2022
The course is laid out well. The handouts are extremely helpful. The checklist provided for the essays makes it easy for my student to varify that everything has been included in her papers. The zoom class really interests my student and she looks forward to class each week. The teacher makes English interesting and brings a tremendous amount of new insight to teaching the material. The teacher’s comments on the graded essays are appreciated. They definitely help my student improve her writing.
Parent (Creative Writing) – September 26, 2022
My son has loved the reading selections each week. I love that it has introduced him to authors he normally would not consider. The writing assignments have provided him with needed challenges that are much needed! Pushing my son outside of his normal comfort level when it comes to the writing assignments. Lili has been wonderful at providing feedback especially when it comes to expressing emotion in his writing. This is something that does not come naturally to him as a child on the spectrum. Lili has encouraged this growth in a wonderful way. My son loves to write and it comes quite easily when he has creative freedom. This course is pushing him into topics he would not normally pick for himself and pushing him to grow in his writing in a positive way.
Student (AP English Language) – September 20, 2022
Ms. Serbicki’s lecture style during live classes is one of the most engaging I have had; it is very difficult to be uninterested in what she is saying. There is also an appropriate amount of student participation in these lectures. Assignments vary every week and are split into small, easy portions. Students also have the opportunity to manage their own workload by completing the number of discussion questions and optional assignments that they would like.
Parent (AP English Language) – September 20, 2022
Live classes are more interactive than ever before and my daughter is learning a lot about writing compositions.
Student (AP English Language) – September 20, 2022
I feel like I am learning about as much as I expected, which is good, and the handouts that she gives at the beginning of the week are really informative and helpful for the material that we go over in class and that shows up in the homework and on tests. To be honest, I am not a humanities person, so I do not enjoy English as much as say science or math, but I like how we started off the year reading Julius Caesar, which was very interesting, and to see the rhetorical appeals in literature so different from the books we normally read was very cool. I like how she gives the work load in an announcement at the beginning of the week so that I can see everything all layed out in one spot. I also like how we took a couple weeks to read and analyze Julius Caesar before jumping into an essay this week. Many teachers just have the class write an essay and analyze at the same time, which is hard.
Parent (Creative Writing) – September 20, 2022
Ms. Serbicki is an excellent teacher and is thorough in her assignments and class. My daughter enjoys this class!
Parent (AP English Literature) – September 20, 2022
Instructor is accessible, very prompt in communication, experienced in teaching AP English, organized, actually understands what she is teaching, prompt with grading and feedback, provides online resources to keep down costs of buying materials, makes the course interesting, has a weekly optional Zoom session that is recorded for future reference, etc…
Parent (AP English Language) – July 17, 2022
With Mrs. Serbicki’s guidance, my son honed his ability to critically analyze texts while also developing a clear and concise writing style. He enjoyed all of the reading assignments and found the overall workload to be very manageable. He especially appreciated Mrs. Serbicki’s helpful, actionable feedback on each of his essays. During the weekly live class meetings, she always gave thorough explanations of the reading material and assignments, as well as detailed answers to any questions. Additionally, she provided comprehensive AP exam prep that taught him how to plan his essays and manage his time on exam day. He felt very well prepared and earned a score of 5.”
Parent (AP English Literature) – April 1, 2022
Ms. Serbicki puts a lot of thought into the curriculum and the assignments, and having had two years with her now, my son has grown much more comfortable writing. She does a good job of providing appropriate and timely feedback in a way that allows the student to apply what they learned.
Parent (AP English Language) – March 27, 2022
Mrs. Serbicki has designed a strong class, with enjoyable works but no busy work. Sometimes AP classes can be overwhelming in terms of pace, but this class has all the richness and opportunity to learn, grow and be challenged that I expect without drowning the student in work. It is perfect for my child. Mrs. S is also lovely to work with.
Parent (Creative Writing) – March 25, 2022
My daughter won a Scholastic Writing Silver Key Award with the help of Mrs. Serbicki, which has encouraged her to a local creative writing camp. My daughter’s weakest subject has always been english yet I’ve seen her work hard and find her voice through this class. My daughter is a different type of learner. She has made tremendous growth in this class which extends into her other subjects as well. I’m fully confident my daughter will gain valuable skills in the next level of courses taken from Mrs. Serbicki in the future as well.
Christie J. (Parent in AP English Literature) – May 30, 2020
Thank you so much for teaching Joey this year. He has learned so much from you and enjoyed having you as a teacher. I am excited he will have you again next year for AP Language. I hope he will be able to attend your live classes. I listened to a number of your classes and appreciate your enthusiasm, knowledge and sharing your gift of teaching!
Maeve D. (Student in AP English Language) – May 27, 2020
Hello! I wanted to pop in and say thank you for a wonderful year of AP language. While I have always loved English classes, I was especially interested in your class. I felt prepared and at ease for the AP exam, even under the special circumstances, because of the organization and education that your class provided to me. I cannot wait for next year in AP Literature!
Jacob (Student in AP English Language)– May 30, 2019
This AP English Language class greatly helped me develop my writing skills. I felt very prepared for the AP Exam at the conclusion of the course. Working with timed essays, difficult exam questions, and exploring new texts and materials were all highlights of the year. The midterm argumentative research assignment was also very interesting. Mrs. Serbicki is an excellent teacher who’s experienced and always available. I would highly recommend this course to any student looking to hone their writing skills and prepare for the AP Exam.
Ilinca D. (Student in AP English Language)– May 30, 2019
Mrs. Serbicki’s AP English Language my favorite course this year and I have learned so much that I know I will carry with me through high school and beyond! Going into the class, I was doubtful that I would ever be able to write an essay without hours to plan and outline and draft and revise, but heading into the exam I felt as prepared as I possibly could have been thanks to everything Mrs. Serbicki taught us. Although I am still awaiting my scores, I am confident about how I did on the exam and felt extremely well-prepared going into it. Mrs. Serbicki was a kind, encouraging, and experienced teacher who provided thoughtful comments on my essays, was always available to answer questions, and really helped me grow as a writer, providing students with a multitude of tools and knowledge that were invaluable both on the exam and for developing writing, critical thinking, research, analysis, and time management skills. There were also a variety of opportunities for extra credit and additional practice incorporated into our homework. Learning to formulate my thoughts quickly by preparing for the timed essays was something that translated into my other school subjects and into writing speeches and articles, and is something I am truly glad to have learned this year through taking AP English Language and Composition. I highly recommend this course, as I genuinely enjoyed it and believe it truly prepared me to preform well on the exam and write confidently and skillfully going forward!
A.K. (Structured But Wild Poetry Intensive)– Summer 2018
“Thank you for mentoring me in a new way of thinking about and attempting structured poetry. Here are my personal biggest takeaways: 1. Don’t use unnecessary words just to make the scan work; 2. Keep the order and syntax natural; and probably the biggest: 3. Use details, specific imagery to build to and justify your thought or insight. Your video lectures are very informative and I have also learned from your style of reading structured poetry. Just before writing this, I read Willa Cather’s poem, Aftermath, and thought how much greater my enjoyment of it is for having taken your short course.”
The SAT Writing Intensive definitely helped me get ready for SATs. The class helped me nail down the structure and style of the essay, practice writing while under pressure, and also helped me learn how to write a great essay in a short amount of time.”
“I won a scholarship recently with an essay/speech that I submitted for the VFW´s Voice of Democracy contest. I actually used a lot of creative writing elements in mine, and I really feel like I owe it to your course for sharpening those aspects of my writing and really my writing as a whole. So I did just want to let you know and thank you for the great feedback on my work so far…The scholarship was worth $20,000 to Springhill College.”
“Mrs. Serbicki’s Creative Writing Class was the highlight of my school year. The assignments were varied, providing a thorough grounding in many different genres and aspects of writing, and were challenging but not overwhelming. Mrs. Serbicki is very kind and easy to work with, and does a great job of keeping class time and assignments interesting and fun. She is flexible and understanding when schedules clash, and is always happy to lend a helping hand, however big or small the difficulty. I think the most unique aspect of Creative Writing was getting to read and critique my classmates’ writing, and in return getting reviews from them on my own works. Exchanging opinions and hints with your peers and pointing out and helping remedy each others’ weaknesses like that is something few writing classes seem to offer, though I find it very useful – even crucial – to improving my writing.”
“We wish we were closer so we could thank you in person… please know how impressed we are with your class. Thank you for all the constructive feedback and coaching you have given [my daughter] throughout this semester. She is LOVING your class and it has been such a wonderful experience for her.”
“Thank you so much for this outstanding class! I learned so much more than I ever thought I could have before! The two years before your class I took cheesy English classes where I didn’t get any more feedback than “Good Work!” on an entire semester of journal exercises. Through your intense and detailed comments I was able to focus on the things I needed definite improvement on…Your class marks a huge turning point in my writing, and I’m so glad to have taken your class.”
“The most helpful feature of this class has been the timed essay feature. Timed essays require a specific skill set…I’ve really been enjoying this course!”
“We are so thrilled with (our daughter’s) progress this year. She is learning so much and truly enjoying every minute of it. Thanks so much for all that you are doing.”
“Everything from the weekly Discussion Questions to the bi-weekly essays and extra credit options have helped me to grow stronger as a fluent and analytical writer. They’ve also familiarized me with different literary devices and book concepts that I know will be key to success on the AP Exam in May.”
“I appreciate that you care about encouraging your students! Lacey is really loving your class!”
“Mrs. S was prompt, considerate, and organized, and went over and above duty on many occasions to spark our interest, keep us on track, and help us grow as writers. The coursework was thorough and challenging, but I never felt overburdened…in fact, I had a lot of fun.”
AP Literature was a fantastic class. I was very impressed by how organized it was and with Mrs. Serbicki’s engagement with her students. We were given clear handouts to make reviewing important ideas easier, as well as plenty of feedback on any written work we did. We could always send her an email to ask for extra help or clarification if we needed it, and this kind of accessibility is so important in an online class.
If you take advantage of this wonderful class and Mrs. Serbicki’s teaching, you will be able to turn any fear of the AP exam into excitement- it’s a challenge you will have been well prepared to tackle. –I.C.
This class was impeccably organized and effectively prepared me for the exam. There were plenty of MCQ practice assignments that assisted in honing test-taking skills, as well as plenty of timed essay practice. I felt confident taking the exam because of this preparation. The coursework itself was interesting, and I especially liked that most assignments allowed for an element of creativity and flexibility.
Mrs. Serbicki always made her expectations completely clear and answered questions promptly. Her support makes it easy to do your best in this class. I most appreciate her directness and attention to detail when grading assignments; I always knew exactly what to work on and what my strong suits were following her dedicated and methodical grading of my papers. Mrs. Serbicki’s organization, support, and succinctness in helping her students grow as writers not only make success in this class achievable, but also enjoyable.
“Highly recommended! This course has been a very effective way to prepare for the AP exam. I, though I had never taken any AP class/test before, felt completely ready and able to give my best on exam day. The assigned reading was intriguing and diverse, introducing me to several genres I had never read before. Mrs. Serbicki’s insight and clear analysis of each work we read really helped me to fully comprehend not just the definition but the application and effect of each literary device we discussed. Her critiques on discussion responses and essays, while always remaining positive and uplifting, were very detailed and specific. She made it very clear what I was doing well and what I needed to work on which really helped me to improve my essay writing and analysis ability. Discussion questions were fun and thought-provoking, lectures were fascinating and extremely helpful, and the AP practice was thorough and well-done. We were eased into the world of writing 40 minute essays incrementally, but we were still pushed a little further each time. (Essays moved from untimed in the first semester, to 90, 70, and finally 40 minutes in the second semester.) There were plenty of MCQ (multiple choice questions) and vocabulary support and practice and there were also plenty of extra activities for those who wanted more practice in a particular area. I even got a couple of chances to delve into creative writing assignments, and the course as a whole, with its deep focus on literary devices and plot structure, has really helped me to improve my own skills as a writer.”
“I absolutely loved Mrs. Serbicki’s AP English Literature course. It was such an amazing class, and I enjoyed it so much. Mrs. Serbicki is always very helpful and willing to answer questions. This course prepared me extremely well for the AP exam. Mrs. Serbicki teaches everything you need to know to score well. I received my score last month, and got a 5. Everything I used to prepare for the exam was from this class. If you take this course, you will be prepared for the exam. On average, I spent about 1-1.5 hours a day on this class. The workload was not overwhelming and I enjoyed doing it. I loved the novels we read and Mrs. Serbicki is great at leading discussions about them.”
“I had so much fun working on this assignment [AP Language Midterm Research Argumentative Paper]. I truly feel like I learned something about this subject.”
“Thank you so much for teaching me AP Language and Composition this year. You have been instrumental in helping me improve as a writer. I am astounded at your patience and willingness to answer questions. Looking back at the beginning of the year, it is clear that you have helped improve my writing. Below is a class recommendation for any future students.
Mrs. Serbicki’s AP English Language and Composition is an excellent course. Mrs. Serbicki clearly and effectively explains all course material while at the same time answering any student questions, thus preparing her students to ace the AP Exam.”
“I think that the course was a good preparation for the exam… The timed essays which we regularly completed were perhaps my favorite part of the class. I think that they prepared me not only for the exam, but also improved my other schoolwork and helped me with the SAT. I have grown to enjoy writing more as a result of taking this course, and I believe that writing comes easier for me now that I have completed it.”
Mrs. Serbicki is an awesome teacher. I was concerned about signing my daughter up for an AP class given the stories I had heard about them – the unnecessary overload of busy work typically assigned to students. I wanted rigor but did not want a class to kill the joy of learning my daughter was used to with other online teachers. This was not the case with this course. It had the right amount of course work without sacrificing the rigor AP courses should provide. Additionally, Mrs. Serbicki has a gentle style of teaching – not intimidating – and was perfect for my daughter. She absolutely loved her class and is looking forward to taking the AP Literature course this coming year.
I just got back from the AP Exam and feel great about my chances of receiving a five! Mrs. Serbicky is the best, most helpful, and thoughtful English teacher I’ve ever had! She constantly pushed me throughout the year and made sure I was ready for the test. All the while, offering encouragement and support for even the smallest of details. My writing skills exponentially improved throughout the first-semester culminating in a mid-term project that I will proud of for years to come! The second semester provided a way for me to hone the skills I learned in the first-semester into a timed format. While the timed format was difficult for me at first, Mrs. Serbicky made sure to give me the help and support necessary to succeed in this tricky area. I truly can’t thank Mrs. Serbicky enough for all of the help she has given me this last year! If you’re on the fence deciding whether or not you want to go with this “AP” course or a basic high-school English class–worried about the workload or difficulty, I can provide a strong recommendation in favor of this course! The workload, while rigorous, is manageable–especially with Mrs. Serbicky’s help, and the difficulty is quite manageable with a little dedication on the students part. To only give this course 5 Starts is quite an understatement on my part, as I would definitely give it 10, or maybe even 1,000, if possible!
In conclusion, if you take this course, you won’t regret it. But, if you don’t take this course, you’ll regret it forever.
I finished the AP exam a week ago, and I felt extremely confident! I think the class is designed incredibly well to help students with the AP exam. We covered a range of literature in the first semester, discussed various literary devices, and analyzed the texts thoroughly. In the second semester, we discussed vocabulary terms, logical fallacies, and techniques for writing AP essays. During the last two months, we started AP prep, taking MCQ sections and FRQ prep. I totally felt prepared for the test thanks to this class!
Going into this class last fall, I had reservations about studying for the AP Language exam, as English was not particularly a favorite subject of mine. However, Mrs. Serbicki did an amazing job of providing an extremely manageable course load while giving us opportunities to improve our writing and reading skills. Over the past year, I gained confidence writing narrative, argumentative, and analysis essays with the invaluable practice resources and advice supplied by Mrs. Serbicki. By exam day, I felt prepared and at ease; every facet of the exam was understandable and straightforward. For anyone facing a potentially busy schedule but still seeking a challenge in the English subject, this is the course for you.
Mrs. Serbecki has years of experience teaching AP English Literature, and it shows. She is enthusiastic about teaching, readily available to answer questions and encouraging. Much of the reading material can be accessed online, which helped reduce costs. My homeschool student not only came out prepared for the AP English Language exam, but also has a deeper appreciation for literature.