Dual Credit Teacher Spotlight: Justin Bretz, Brownsburg High School

Justin Bretz has been shaping young minds at Brownsburg High School for over a decade, and his passion for teaching shines through in his dual credit courses. With a strong background in English and years of experience teaching both Advanced Placement (AP) Literature and Dual Credit Composition, Justin offers his students a unique opportunity to get a head start on their college education. 

In this Q&A, we delve into his journey as a dual credit teacher, the program's evolution, and its impact on preparing students for college-level challenges. Through his insights, you’ll discover the rewards and challenges of teaching college-level material to high school students and gain valuable advice for those considering dual credit courses.

Can you tell us a little about your background, including what you teach and how long you’ve been at Brownsburg High School? 

I have been teaching at Brownsburg High School since 2012; this is my thirteenth year here. I teach both AP Literature and Composition and Dual Credit Composition, ENGL 111/215. In 2022, I earned my English MA from IU Indy, holding graduate certificates for teaching both composition and literature.

How did you get involved in teaching dual credit courses, and how has the program evolved since you started?

I first taught dual credit in 2015 when our school switched to Ivy Tech as our credit provider. My department head at the time asked me to join the PLC for the course since the number of qualifying students would increase with the change, and I’ve been doing it ever since! A lot of evolution has occurred in the courses available to offer from Ivy Tech and the expectation of assignments in those courses.

How do you see dual credit courses impacting students’ college readiness?

Our dual credit courses push students to perform to a more rigorous set of expectations than many may be used to, and I believe that rigor helps them understand more clearly the expectations for college. Additionally, students get used to more long-ranging assignments, have more research opportunities, more experience working with complex sources/readings, and all of these are vital college skills.

How do you balance the challenge of teaching college-level material to high school students while ensuring they succeed?

A key to developing that balance is frontloading the expectations. We do some initial assignments to help students see the distinction between what they may have done when approaching writing assignments before compared to what they need to keep in mind now. We try to move them away from formulaic, “for the teacher” writing and help them understand writing in more realistic scenarios. Additionally, a lot of one-on-one conversations with students about writing must happen in this course to help them navigate the difficulties of certain assignments.

What advice would you give to students and their families who are considering dual credit courses?

If you want to develop writing skills and you can look at it as an area for growth, definitely take the course! Be okay with challenges and potential setbacks because you might be working at a level you’re not used to, and improving means adjusting to those setbacks and learning from them!

What’s the most rewarding part of being a dual credit teacher?

I really enjoy it when students have realizations about their writing that surprise them. Suddenly, while discussing why they should or shouldn’t do something in their writing, they answer their own question or work through their own problem, and it’s nice to see them realize that the critical thinking they’ve done has paid off!

What’s your favorite lesson or topic to teach in your dual credit course, and why do you think students connect with it?

I love working with students on research projects. Just allowing writers the chance to pursue a topic of their interest alone helps them see that research can be enjoyable. Plus, I like helping students think creatively about their approaches to research: our initial inquiries aren’t working, so how can we tackle this from another angle? And then when they figure it out, the sources come pouring in, and they’re thinking through a lot of material. It’s exciting to see how knowledgeable they become about something at the end of a research project, and I think they even surprise themselves at what they’re able to produce in writing when they have dedicated themselves to learning as much as possible about something.