Mr. Zurla is an AP Computer Science teacher here at Arcadia High School. Early each morning at 7 a.m., he turns on his broadcast and opens up Google Classroom as he and his students begin a productive hour of learning arrays, writing class code, loops, or other topics of the kind.

The easy-going setting of Mr. Zurla’s classroom makes it a positive learning environment for all of his students. For those that learn each lesson quickly and well, they are able to move on to more challenging questions and resources, which Mr. Zurla provides an abundance of from codingbat.com to numerous worksheets linked on to his Google Classroom page. For those that struggle a little and require more lectures and assistance, Mr. Zurla makes sure to go through each and every problem, thoroughly explaining each aspect of the problem and highlighting what his students to take away from that problem to be successful on the test.

The structure of the classroom is very organized and easy-to-follow; all work that should be understood for the test is easy accessible on Google Classroom, where students can scroll to the beginning of the unit and practice each one. Mr. Zurla also attaches answer keys with his accompanying work so that students can check their answers and make sure that they are understanding the concepts well. The challenge problems that students go through can be tough but are definitely questions that prepare each student for success both in his class and on the AP exam in May. Prior to the test, he and his class go over several practice tests, worksheets, and repl.its that clarify what the test will be like and what each student should study leading up to the test day. His students appreciate the fact that all his tests are true to what is taught in class.

Computer science is not always the most exciting class, though Mr. Zurla makes sure to keep his students alert and entertained with the occasional joke that he slips into his lectures. They always get his class cracking up and ready for the next topic.

Students here at Arcadia thank Mr. Zurla for all his hard work and teaching. He has introduced them to a new and exciting potential field of work in the future; with computer science becoming an increasingly popular field and important skill in the workforce, Mr. Zurla has laid the important foundation in his high school students. Thank you, Mr. Zurla, for all that you do!